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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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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: stand · chair · net · ball · kid · foot · dip · temple

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stand — to bear
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. net — for catching
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. foot — a measure
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. foot — the bottom

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