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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: firm · racket · kick · current · game · rash · bear · wind

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. game — wild animals
  11. firm — a company
  12. rash — a series
  13. current — of water
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. firm — decided
  19. game — a match
  20. firm — steady
  21. rash — hasty
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — the animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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