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

Word bank: race · content · bass · temple · arm · ball · perch · cabinet

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. ball — a dance
  3. race — the arms race
  4. perch — the fish
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. content — the amount
  9. race — a contest
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — happy
  14. ball — a great time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. race — humankind
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. arm — part of the body
  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