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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · kick · clip · mouse · bass · racket · temple · chair

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. mine — for digging
  7. clip — for paper
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bass — low music
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. chair — a leader
  13. clip — a video
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — the fish
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. clip — to cut
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mouse — the animal

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