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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. club — for golf
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bark — to shout
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. prune — to trim
  14. club — for dancing
  15. tube — a container
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. club — a group
  24. rock — music

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