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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. degree — from a university
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bass — the fish
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bass — low music
  15. degree — temperature
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lean — to bend
  18. hand — help
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. foot — a measure
  24. hand — part of the body

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