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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: row · racket · kick · dip · can · field · roll · fan

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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. fan — to cool the air
  4. roll — a list
  5. field — farmland
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. kick — in football
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — for sport
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. roll — a cake
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. field — a subject
  24. row — to paddle

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