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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pop — soda
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. kid — to tease
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — the fish
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stock — goods
  15. kid — child
  16. bass — low music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stock — shares
  21. pop — music
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pop — to visit

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