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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: can · racket · stick · race · foot · shower · kick · tube

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. can — a tin
  3. race — the arms race
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kick — in football
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — a measure

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