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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tear — to rip
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. current — of water
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. sharp — clever
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. current — electric
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. row — to paddle
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. row — a line
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. current — happening now

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