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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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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: bat · bass · temple · kid · bound · board · pop · foot

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. bass — the fish
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. kid — child
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. board — to get on
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. foot — a measure
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pop — to visit
  17. board — a committee
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pop — soda
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bass — low music
  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