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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. craft — boats
  6. tube — the underground
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wake — a trail
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — a container
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. game — a match
  20. wound — an injury
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. toast — bread
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. temple — side of the head

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