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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: temple · bulb · racket · field · wake · spring · club · season

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — in sport
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. season — of the year
  7. field — farmland
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. club — a group
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bulb — for light
  14. club — for golf
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. spring — of water
  20. wake — a trail
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. spring — the season

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