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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.

Make a worksheet

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: sharp · racket · drill · bowl · rash · arm · temple · game

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. game — a match
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rash — hasty
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. drill — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. drill — a practice
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. drill — army training
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bowl — to roll

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