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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: suit · game · racket · spell · staff · chest · temple · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. chest — of your body
  3. game — wild animals
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. game — a match
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fine — all right
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spell — letters
  13. staff — a stick
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spell — magic
  17. staff — employees
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fine — high quality
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. suit — clothes
  23. staff — employees
  24. spell — a short time

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