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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.

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: rock · game · bat · staff · fan · ball · object · temple

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. staff — employees
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. staff — employees
  10. ball — a great time
  11. object — to protest
  12. rock — music
  13. object — a thing
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. object — an aim
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bat — the animal
  19. game — wild animals
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. game — a match

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