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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.

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: pop · temple · bat · object · key · bowl · wound · present

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. object — an aim
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. present — the time now
  6. pop — to visit
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pop — soda
  17. bat — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. object — to protest
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. object — a thing
  24. wound — an injury

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