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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spring — the season
  5. field — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — for dancing
  9. field — farmland
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. shower — to wash
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. band — a music group
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. field — a subject
  18. band — a ring
  19. spring — of water
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. shower — rain
  24. spring — a coil

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