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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spring · game · bowl · present · bat · cue · temple

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. present — a gift
  3. cue — a hint
  4. present — there
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cue — for pool
  7. game — a match
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. game — wild animals
  10. spring — of water
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — the season
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bulb — for light
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. present — the time now
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cue — a signal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bulb — of a plant

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