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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: firm · kid · club · season · staff · temple · bulb · pitcher

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. firm — a company
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kid — to tease
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. firm — steady
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. club — for golf
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. club — a group
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. firm — decided
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. kid — child
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. bulb — for light

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