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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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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: mouse · swing · scale · snap · row · temple · pit · ground

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pit — in a race
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ground — a position
  9. scale — in music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ground — the earth
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. row — a line
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ground — crushed
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. swing — music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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