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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: file · ball · arm · cue · bat · temple · foot · racket

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. file — a line of people
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. file — a tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cue — a signal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bat — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. arm — part of the body

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