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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: foot · net · ruler · temple · cap · bear · present · racket

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. net — for catching
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. present — a gift
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. net — after costs
  17. present — the time now
  18. cap — of ice
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. net — in sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bear — the animal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. present — there

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