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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 116 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: bear · kid · racket · scale · can · dip · shower · pass

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pass — a permit
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. kid — child
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. can — to be able to
  20. scale — in music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. scale — size or range
  23. shower — rain
  24. kid — to tease

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