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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · kid · squash · mine · object · bore · fan · racket

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. kid — child
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. firm — decided
  5. object — an aim
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. firm — a company
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. squash — to crush
  16. object — a thing
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. kid — to tease
  19. squash — the sport
  20. firm — steady
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. object — to protest
  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