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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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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: bat · march · club · jam · pit · bowl · nail · temple

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. march — music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. march — the month
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pit — in a race
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. club — a group
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — a hole
  20. club — for dancing
  21. march — the month
  22. club — for golf
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. temple — a place of worship

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