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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 120 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: squash · temple · bowl · bass · race · club · tube · drill

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. squash — to crush
  5. drill — army training
  6. squash — the sport
  7. drill — a practice
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bass — the fish
  12. race — the arms race
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. drill — the tool
  16. club — a group
  17. race — a contest
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. race — humankind
  20. club — for golf
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. tube — the underground
  24. temple — side of the head

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