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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 120 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: game · wake · ball · rash · racket · mug · nail · pitcher

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mug — a cup
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mug — to rob
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mug — a face
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. game — a match
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — for tennis

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