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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ground — a position
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. band — a music group
  7. bass — low music
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. band — a ring
  13. land — a country
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. land — to come down
  19. bass — the fish
  20. land — ground
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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