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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. squash — the sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tube — a container
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cue — a hint
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cue — a signal

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