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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.

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 · mug · stock · toast · bulb · temple · court · kick

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mug — a face
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. toast — bread
  9. bulb — for light
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mug — to rob
  13. kick — in football
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. mug — a cup
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. club — for golf
  23. bulb — for light
  24. club — a group

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