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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: game · temple · cap · stem · safe · object · racket · bound

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cap — of ice
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cap — a hat
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. object — to protest
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cap — a lid
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. stem — to come from
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bound — obliged
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. game — wild animals

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