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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bear — the animal
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. vault — a safe
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. swing — in golf
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. swing — to play on
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. swing — music
  22. kid — to tease
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. racket — for tennis

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