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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: lash · track · temple · rule · racket · bat · court · press

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. court — of law
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — government
  5. bat — the animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rule — a law
  10. track — a song
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. track — to keep track
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. press — to push
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. track — a path
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. press — newspapers
  24. racket — a loud noise

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