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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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 — side of the head
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. object — a thing
  7. board — to get on
  8. bat — the animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fine — all right
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. board — a committee
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fine — high quality
  22. object — an aim
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. scale — size or range

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