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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chest — a box
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pop — soda
  6. bass — low music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. march — the month
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — the fish
  16. march — music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mark — a trace
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pop — to visit
  24. chest — of your body

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