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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · club · last · ball · bulb · row · drill · temple

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. last — to go on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. club — a group
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ball — a great time
  7. row — to paddle
  8. drill — army training
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. last — finally
  12. club — for golf
  13. bear — the animal
  14. row — a line
  15. club — for dancing
  16. last — final
  17. bulb — for light
  18. drill — the tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. drill — a practice
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ball — a dance

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