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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: hide · temple · dip · swing · club · bulb · track · field

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. field — farmland
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. field — a subject
  9. dip — to sink
  10. club — for golf
  11. field — for sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. swing — in golf
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. swing — music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bulb — of a plant

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