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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: pitcher · fan · temple · pass · ball · scale · bat · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bound — obliged
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. scale — size or range
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ball — a dance

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