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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: bowl · band · temple · spring · rule · cabinet · fine · pop

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pop — soda
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rule — a law
  11. spring — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — government
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. band — a ring
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spring — of water
  18. fine — all right
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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