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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · track · racket · game · kick · row · shower · plane

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. game — wild animals
  3. plane — a tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. shower — rain
  7. row — a line
  8. fine — high quality
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. track — a song
  17. kick — in football
  18. game — a match
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. track — a path
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. track — to keep track
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com