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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fork — in a road
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. row — a line
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bass — low music
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chest — a box
  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