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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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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 · wave · firm · kid · kick · scale · nail

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. scale — size or range
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. row — a line
  14. kick — in football
  15. row — to paddle
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. kid — child
  19. scale — in music
  20. kid — to tease
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. kick — with a leg

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