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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: nail · fine · date · bulb · kid · race · temple · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fine — all right
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ball — a dance
  14. race — a contest
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bulb — for light
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ball — a great time

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