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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. file — a tool
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. board — a committee
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. board — to get on
  15. ball — a dance
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pound — a weight
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — to keep track
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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