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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: temple · ball · patient · march · cell · cap · bass · band

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — low music
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cap — a hat
  9. band — a ring
  10. cell — a phone
  11. march — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — the fish
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cell — in biology
  18. ball — a great time
  19. band — a music group
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ball — a dance
  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