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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 · ball · pop · snap · fan · deal · shower · bound

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a great time
  6. snap — to click
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bound — tied together
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bound — certain
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bound — obliged
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. shower — rain
  16. pop — soda
  17. ball — a dance
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — music
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pop — to visit
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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