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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: temple · land · trunk · jam · squash · club · firm · bowl

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. firm — a company
  5. club — for golf
  6. squash — to crush
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. land — to come down
  9. firm — decided
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. club — a group
  16. land — ground
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. land — a country
  22. firm — steady
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. club — for dancing

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