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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: ruler · shower · racket · perch · bear · kid · ball · spell

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ball — a great time
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kid — child
  13. spell — magic
  14. shower — to wash
  15. spell — letters
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. spell — a short time
  24. kid — to tease

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