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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · ball · clip · stem · club · bass · temple · foot

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ball — a dance
  5. club — for golf
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bass — the fish
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mug — a face
  19. foot — a measure
  20. club — a group
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stem — to come from
  24. clip — a video

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