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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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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: kid · net · row · drill · bear · deal · shower · racket

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. drill — the tool
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. drill — a practice
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. row — a line
  9. net — for catching
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. net — in sport
  14. drill — army training
  15. net — after costs
  16. row — to paddle
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kid — to tease
  23. shower — to wash
  24. kid — child

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