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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: racket · shower · bat · toast · wake · safe · deal · mark

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. shower — rain
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bat — the animal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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