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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bank — for money
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. court — of a king
  16. can — a tin
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rush — hurry
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. can — a tin
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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