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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: pop · suit · lean · stick · temple · pit · game · racket

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pop — soda
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lean — to bend
  8. suit — clothes
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. game — a match
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. game — wild animals
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lean — thin
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pop — music

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