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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.

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: bowl · nail · club · temple · can · row · capital · stem

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. stem — to come from
  10. capital — money
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. club — for golf
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. row — a line
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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