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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 · pitcher · charge · rush · bass · bowl · trunk · fall

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rush — hurry
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. bass — low music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. charge — a price
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rush — a thrill

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