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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: pitcher · fan · arm · squash · ground · club · temple · pop

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. club — for golf
  9. pop — soda
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. squash — the sport
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. squash — to crush
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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