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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 was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pitch — completely
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. court — of law
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. deal — to handle
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. court — of a king
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. court — for sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. perch — the fish

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