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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. net — in sport
  5. bass — low music
  6. net — for catching
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mug — a face
  10. kick — in football
  11. ground — crushed
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mug — a cup
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mug — to rob
  18. net — after costs
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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