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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: row · temple · pass · chest · pop · firm · scale · racket

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. row — a line
  4. chest — of your body
  5. firm — steady
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pop — soda
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pop — music
  19. chest — a box
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chest — of your body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. scale — in music

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