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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 · ruler · club · tube · clip · temple · can · kick

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kick — in football
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. can — a tin
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. clip — for paper
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. clip — to cut
  18. club — for golf
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. clip — a video
  21. tube — a container
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. club — a group
  24. can — to be able to

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