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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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468
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: pitcher · bass · cell · swing · mate · ball · temple · rule

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mate — a friend
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bass — the fish
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rule — government
  23. swing — music
  24. bass — low 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