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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. court — of law
  6. hand — in cards
  7. present — the time now
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. present — there
  11. bank — for money
  12. chest — a box
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. chest — of your body
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. court — for sport
  22. present — a gift
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. hand — help

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