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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. saw — the tool
  3. firm — decided
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a ring
  6. can — a tin
  7. firm — steady
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. can — a tin
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cue — a hint
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cue — a signal
  18. firm — a company
  19. band — a music group
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cue — for pool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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