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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bear — the animal
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pop — music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bass — the fish
  16. band — a music group
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. band — a ring
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pop — soda
  24. ruler — for measuring

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