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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: bass · key · jam · shower · cabinet · temple · march · sharp

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. key — in music
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bass — low music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. sharp — clever
  22. march — the month
  23. bass — the fish
  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