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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mate — a friend
  4. band — a ring
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. net — for catching
  10. firm — steady
  11. net — in sport
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. net — after costs
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. band — a music group
  19. firm — decided
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mate — to breed
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. firm — a company
  24. branch — a division

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