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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. scale — in music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bass — low music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bass — the fish
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mine — for digging
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fork — in a road
  23. racket — for tennis
  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