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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: date · scale · racket · hand · kick · current · rush · bank

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. scale — size or range
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rush — hurry
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kick — in football
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. current — happening now
  14. scale — in music
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bank — of a river
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. current — electric
  19. bank — for money
  20. date — the fruit
  21. current — of water
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bank — for money
  24. rush — to hurry

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