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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 · pop · mouse · arm · charge · toast · pitcher · kid

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kid — child
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. charge — in control
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. toast — bread
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pop — to visit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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