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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pit — a hole
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. content — happy
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. track — a song
  15. content — the amount
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a path
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. track — to keep track
  22. vault — a safe
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — of a plant

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