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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: fine · pop · band · current · temple · arm · bowl · bass

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pop — to visit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. band — a ring
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. current — electric
  10. bass — the fish
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bass — low music
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. band — a music group
  18. current — happening now
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fine — all right
  22. pop — soda
  23. current — of water
  24. pop — music

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