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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ground — a position
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bat — the animal
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ground — the earth
  20. toast — bread
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  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