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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cell — in biology
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — to shout
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bark — of a tree

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