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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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468
Word bank
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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rash — hasty
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cap — a hat
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. root — of a plant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. calf — of the leg

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