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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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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: nail · court · spell · land · stand · bulb · club · temple

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spell — a short time
  3. club — a group
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — for sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. club — for golf
  9. spell — magic
  10. court — of a king
  11. stand — to bear
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. court — of law
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. land — a country
  17. bulb — for light
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. land — to come down
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. land — ground
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spell — letters
  24. nail — for a hammer

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