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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ball — a dance
  3. tear — from crying
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ball — a great time
  8. squash — the sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tear — from crying
  14. scale — in music
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tear — to rip
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. squash — to crush
  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