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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: hand · rock · fall · jam · mark · racket · roll · kick

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hand — help
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. roll — a cake
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rock — music
  20. fall — the season
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mark — a trace
  24. kick — in football

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