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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: bass · jam · bowl · bark · mark · content · temple · fan

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. content — the amount
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bass — the fish
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bass — low music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. content — happy
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bark — to shout
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mark — a trace
  24. content — videos and posts

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