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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: tube · hand · bowl · temple · object · club · toast · key

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. club — a group
  3. object — to protest
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. toast — bread
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. object — an aim
  13. club — for golf
  14. tube — the underground
  15. key — in music
  16. hand — in cards
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. object — a thing
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. hand — help
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — a container
  24. club — for dancing

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