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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: shower · temple · date · row · bowl · arm · club · jam

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. row — to paddle
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. shower — to wash
  11. club — a group
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — a line
  20. date — the fruit
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. shower — rain
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. club — for golf

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