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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: can · ball · pound · tear · temple · shower · chair · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ball — a dance
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. can — to be able to
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. tear — to rip
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tear — from crying
  15. can — a tin
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. can — a tin
  21. pound — a weight
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chair — a leader

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