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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: suit · hand · pit · temple · fall · bark · bowl · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hand — help
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hand — in cards
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pit — in a race
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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