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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.

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: racket · swing · scale · tear · bear · rash · game · bore

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rash — a series
  6. bore — to tire
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. game — a match
  11. bore — to drill
  12. tear — to rip
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. tear — from crying
  19. scale — in music
  20. swing — music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bear — the animal

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