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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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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: ball · temple · foot · mouse · spell · racket · tear · chip

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ball — a great time
  4. foot — a measure
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tear — from crying
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. chip — for betting
  19. tear — to rip
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. tear — from crying

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