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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: chip · mark · plane · wound · court · bass · kick · temple

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. court — of law
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — for betting
  12. plane — a tool
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bass — low music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wound — an injury
  24. kick — in football

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