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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cold · temple · racket · pitcher · bore · foot · jam · saw

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cold — not warm
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cold — an illness
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. racket — for tennis

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