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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · pit · racket · snap · deal · club

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. snap — to click
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. club — a group
  7. pit — a hole
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pit — in a race
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. club — for golf
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. club — for dancing

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