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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. club — for dancing
  4. foot — a measure
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bass — the fish
  7. net — for catching
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. club — a group
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. drill — army training
  18. bound — tied together
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. foot — 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