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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 · bank · tube · court · calf · pop · game · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. court — for sport
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bank — of a river
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — soda
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. tube — a container
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tube — the underground
  21. game — a match
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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