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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: sharp · racket · band · temple · bass · squash · arm · kid

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. squash — to crush
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. band — a ring
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. kid — to tease
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bass — the fish
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bass — low music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kid — child
  24. racket — for tennis

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