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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fall — to drop
  6. court — of a king
  7. bat — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. court — for sport
  13. ball — a great time
  14. can — a tin
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. court — of law
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fall — the season
  22. can — a tin
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. racket — a loud noise

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