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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bass — the fish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. key — in music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bass — low music
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. object — to protest
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. object — a thing
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pitch — completely
  22. key — the most important part
  23. object — an aim
  24. key — for a lock

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