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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. scale — in music
  4. bass — low music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bass — the fish
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rest — what's left
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. net — after costs
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. toast — bread
  22. net — for catching
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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