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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. present — there
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mate — a friend
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. court — of a king
  7. fall — to drop
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. game — wild animals
  10. firm — a company
  11. court — of law
  12. present — the time now
  13. game — a match
  14. cue — a signal
  15. present — a gift
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fall — the season
  20. firm — decided
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. firm — steady
  23. cue — a hint
  24. court — for sport

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