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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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Word bank
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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 · racket · rule · present · staff · track

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. present — the time now
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. staff — employees
  9. track — a song
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. present — a gift
  12. staff — employees
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rule — a law
  15. track — a path
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rule — government
  18. temple — side of the head

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