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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · object · key · kid · ground · press · ball · bass

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. object — to protest
  3. press — to push
  4. kid — child
  5. bass — low music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. object — a thing
  8. key — in music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. ground — a position
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ground — the earth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. key — the most important part
  17. object — an aim
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ground — crushed
  22. kid — to tease
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. press — a publisher

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