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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: bore · kick · fan · racket · bowl · squash · ball · kid

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bore — to tire
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bore — to drill
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kick — in football
  24. bowl — a football final

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