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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 · pop · nail · wind · dip · club · racket · mate

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. club — for golf
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wind — moving air
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pop — to visit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pop — music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wind — moving air
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mate — to breed
  21. club — a group
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pop — soda

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