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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 120 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: bulb · last · temple · spring · ball · pitcher · pit · club

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. last — final
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. bulb — for light
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. last — finally
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. club — a group
  22. spring — of water
  23. last — to go on
  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