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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 · fine · land · bulb · kid · club · nail · toast

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fine — high quality
  9. land — to come down
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bulb — for light
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. land — ground
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. toast — bread
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fine — all right
  20. kid — to tease
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. club — a group
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. kid — child

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