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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: roll · mouse · current · sharp · date · kid · lie · racket

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — of water
  6. roll — a list
  7. lie — to recline
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. current — electric
  17. roll — a cake
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. current — happening now
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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