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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.

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: ball · can · land · cap · tube · temple · chest · bowl

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chest — of your body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ball — a great time
  6. can — a tin
  7. land — ground
  8. can — a tin
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. land — to come down
  11. ball — a dance
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cap — a lid
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cap — of ice
  18. chest — a box
  19. cap — a hat
  20. land — a country
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tube — a container

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