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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: fan · scale · ball · prune · temple · club · court · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. club — a group
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. club — for golf
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — size or range
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ball — a dance
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. club — for dancing
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. scale — in music
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. prune — to trim

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