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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: temple · club · racket · suit · bark · land · spring · rule

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bark — to shout
  5. spring — the season
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spring — a coil
  8. land — ground
  9. rule — government
  10. suit — in cards
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spring — of water
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. land — a country
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. land — to come down
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rule — a law

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