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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: kid · bear · nail · rock · shower · racket · temple · game

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. game — a match
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. shower — rain
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. kid — child
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kid — to tease
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. shower — to wash
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — music
  24. game — wild animals

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