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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · ball · wound · temple · safe · pitcher · bowl · rock

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wound — an injury
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ball — a round shape

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