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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 120 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: land · plane · bass · pitcher · temple · squash · cue · swing

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. swing — music
  7. land — ground
  8. squash — the sport
  9. plane — a tool
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cue — for pool
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cue — a hint
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. squash — to crush
  24. plane — an aircraft

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