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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: temple · tear · fan · cell · jam · club · bowl · pitcher

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. club — a group
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bowl — a football final

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