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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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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: kid · temple · present · jam · squash · ball · bank · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bulb — for light
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. ball — a great time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. squash — to crush
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. present — there
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — the time now
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kid — child
  19. present — a gift
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ball — a dance
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bank — for money

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