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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · kick · band · club · can · mark · temple · pop

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. can — a tin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pop — soda
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mark — a grade
  7. club — a group
  8. can — to be able to
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. band — a ring
  16. club — for golf
  17. pop — music
  18. band — a music group
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. club — for dancing
  23. kick — in football
  24. band — a rubber band

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