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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.

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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. swing — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ground — a position
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. squash — the sport
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ground — crushed
  10. key — in music
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pit — a hole
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — to crush
  15. key — the most important part
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. key — for a lock
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pit — in a race
  21. swing — to play on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. temple — a place of worship

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