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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: net · band · bulb · bank · temple · cell · club · fork

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. fork — in a road
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bank — of a river
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. club — for golf
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. net — after costs
  14. bank — for money
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bank — for money
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. band — a music group
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. band — a ring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. club — a group
  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