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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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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pitch — completely
  7. can — a tin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. shower — to wash
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. dip — to sink
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. can — to be able to
  17. shower — rain
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rest — a break
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. can — a tin

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