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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 · ball · mate · club · calf · fan

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ball — a dance
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. club — a group
  14. ball — a great time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. club — for golf
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mate — to breed

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