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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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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 · ball · cap · deal · snap · bound · suit · toast

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cap — a lid
  5. deal — to handle
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. suit — in cards
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bound — tied together
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. toast — bread
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bound — certain
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cap — a hat
  21. suit — to fit
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ball — a great time

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