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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: bass · board · temple · swing · calf · squash · pop · nail

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. board — a committee
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. squash — the sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pop — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pop — to visit
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pop — soda
  14. board — to get on
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. swing — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. squash — to crush
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — low music

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