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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: stick · kid · row · pop · firm · object · racket · wake

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. object — a thing
  3. firm — decided
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. object — an aim
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. firm — a company
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. firm — steady
  15. pop — music
  16. object — to protest
  17. wake — a trail
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pop — to visit
  20. kid — child
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pop — soda
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. racket — a loud noise

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