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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · bat · land · scale · cap · racket · bear · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. scale — in music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bat — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. roll — a list
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. land — to come down
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cap — a lid
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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