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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. court — for sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. bat — the animal
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bass — low music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. court — of law
  18. mate — to breed
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. court — of a king
  22. date — the fruit
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. temple — a place of worship

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