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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: land · club · temple · racket · pitcher · scale · cap · toast

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. land — ground
  3. cap — of ice
  4. club — a group
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. land — to come down
  12. club — for golf
  13. scale — size or range
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. land — a country
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. club — for dancing
  23. scale — in music
  24. racket — for tennis

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