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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.

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: rush · content · racket · fork · staff · mine · fan · temple

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fork — in a road
  7. content — happy
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. content — the amount
  12. mine — for digging
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. staff — employees
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fan — a supporter

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