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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. file — a tool
  4. rock — music
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cap — of ice
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. club — for golf
  13. file — a document
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cap — a lid
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. club — a group
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rock — a stone
  24. club — for dancing

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