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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: cap · ball · temple · spell · land · board · bear · bulb

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. land — ground
  3. ball — a dance
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a committee
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spell — magic
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spell — letters
  17. land — to come down
  18. cap — a hat
  19. board — to get on
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ball — a great time
  23. land — a country
  24. bear — to put up with

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