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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: saw · dip · ball · pop · temple · rule · bass · spell

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bass — low music
  4. rule — government
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rule — a law
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. spell — letters
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spell — magic
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pop — to visit

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