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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: racket · foot · kid · pop · temple · band · ruler · vault

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pop — soda
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. band — a ring
  9. kid — child
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kid — to tease
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pop — music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. band — a music group
  18. vault — a safe
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pop — to visit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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