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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: bark · band · fan · cap · racket · plane · kid · temple

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. band — a music group
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kid — child
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. band — a ring
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. temple — a place of worship

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