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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 · wake · game · ball · pop · perch · rest · bay

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pop — soda
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rest — what's left
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. pop — music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pop — to visit
  22. perch — the fish
  23. game — a match
  24. temple — side of the head

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