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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: scale · bore · kick · toast · racket · stick · ground · mouse

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ground — a position
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. kick — in football
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — in music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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