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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: roll · bore · temple · date · kick · kid · bowl · bass

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bore — to drill
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bore — to tire
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bass — low music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kid — child
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. roll — a list
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. roll — a cake
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bass — the instrument

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