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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. object — an aim
  5. pop — soda
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ball — a great time
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. object — a thing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. ball — a dance
  23. object — to protest
  24. bear — to put up with

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