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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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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: pop · swing · wind · charge · pit · temple · band · foot

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. charge — a price
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pit — in a race
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. swing — music
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pop — soda
  13. charge — in control
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pop — to visit
  16. band — a ring
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. swing — in golf
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. charge — electricity

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