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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.

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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: staff · cue · ball · bore · kick · mate · temple · racket

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. staff — employees
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mate — to breed
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — employees
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kick — in football
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mate — a friend
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cue — for pool
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bore — gave birth

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