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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. row — a line
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. key — the most important part
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bass — low music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — in music
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. ball — a dance
  19. saw — the tool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bass — the fish
  22. row — to paddle
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bass — the instrument

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