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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.

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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: rock · staff · mouse · lash · racket · kid · land · present

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. kid — to tease
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. present — a gift
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. present — there
  13. land — a country
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. present — the time now
  18. staff — employees
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rock — music
  21. land — to come down
  22. rock — a stone
  23. land — ground
  24. rock — to move gently

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