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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.

Words on the sheet
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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. pit — a hole
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. craft — boats
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. craft — a skill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bound — certain
  13. bear — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cell — in biology
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pit — in a race
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. file — a tool
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bear — to put up with
  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