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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. ball — a dance
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ball — a great time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. court — of law
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. temple — a place of worship

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