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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: date · roll · sharp · rock · shower · craft · racket · can

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — a stone
  4. sharp — clever
  5. shower — rain
  6. can — to be able to
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. roll — a cake
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. date — the fruit
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. shower — to wash
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — music
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. craft — a skill
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. roll — a list

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