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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: racket · chip · bowl · stem · object · rush · temple · cap

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. chip — for betting
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stem — to come from
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. object — an aim

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