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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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 — a place of worship
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bass — the fish
  5. club — for golf
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. club — a group
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bass — low music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bore — to tire
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. object — a thing

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