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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: arm · stand · rule · shower · racket · temple · bat · ball

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. shower — to wash
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — the animal
  14. shower — rain
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ball — a great time
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rule — a law
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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