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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: temple · racket · rule · present · staff · track · shower · mate

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. shower — rain
  6. staff — a stick
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mate — a partner
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — a path
  11. staff — employees
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mate — to breed
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. mate — a friend
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. present — there
  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