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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.

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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bass — the fish

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