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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mate — to breed
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fine — all right
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cell — a phone
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. land — ground
  24. mate — a partner

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