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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bat — the animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pop — to visit
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pop — music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cue — a hint
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. pop — soda

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