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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 · racket · tube · current · foot · fan · rush · temple

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. ball — a great time
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. current — happening now
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. tube — the underground
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a dance
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  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