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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 · bass · band · club · jam · drill · bat · kick

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. club — for golf
  9. drill — army training
  10. bat — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bass — the fish
  14. club — a group
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bass — low music
  20. kick — in football
  21. club — for dancing
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. kick — a thrill

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