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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 120 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: kick · racket · deal · cabinet · hand · firm · mark · current

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — a company
  3. kick — in football
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hand — help
  10. firm — decided
  11. current — of water
  12. firm — steady
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. deal — to handle

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