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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.

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: stick · temple · clip · tube · game · racket · pitcher · safe

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. clip — to cut
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. clip — for paper
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tube — the underground
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. tube — a container
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. game — wild animals
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. clip — a video
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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