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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: bowl · club · temple · mark · cue · plane · last · press

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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 — side of the head
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cue — a signal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. last — to go on
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cue — for pool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. last — final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. press — to push
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. club — a group
  22. last — finally
  23. club — for golf
  24. mark — a trace

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