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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. charge — a price
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. key — in music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. tube — the underground
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. charge — in control
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. tube — a container
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — for a lock
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kick — in football
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bear — the animal

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