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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: temple · bear · bulb · roll · sharp · pitcher · straw · track

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. track — a path
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. roll — a list
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. sharp — clever
  21. track — a song
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bear — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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