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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 · chip · court · jam · bass · race · temple · bay

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. court — for sport
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — humankind
  9. bass — the fish
  10. race — the arms race
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. chip — for betting
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. court — of law
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. race — a contest
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bass — low music
  21. court — of a king
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. temple — a place of worship

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