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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. present — there
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. present — a gift
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wax — to grow
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. present — the time now
  15. firm — a company
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bass — low music
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. racket — a loud noise

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