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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rule — a law
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. court — of a king
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rule — government
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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