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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: bass · temple · fall · fork · racket · band · cap · stick

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — to drop
  6. band — a music group
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bass — low music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. band — a ring
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cap — of ice
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fall — the season
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bass — the fish

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