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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 120 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: clip · land · bulb · club · temple · board · sharp · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bulb — for light
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. clip — to cut
  5. club — a group
  6. land — a country
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. clip — a video
  10. mug — to rob
  11. land — to come down
  12. club — for dancing
  13. board — to get on
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. club — for golf
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mug — a face
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — ground
  23. board — a committee
  24. clip — for paper

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