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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.

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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: can · kid · racket · temple · squash · pitch · row · rock

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — music
  5. row — to paddle
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitch — completely
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. kid — to tease
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. row — a line
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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