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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · present · game · temple · tube · arm · land · roll

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. land — to come down
  3. present — there
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. club — for dancing
  6. land — ground
  7. club — a group
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. game — wild animals
  11. land — a country
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. club — for golf
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tube — a container
  18. present — the time now
  19. roll — a cake
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. present — a gift

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