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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. hand — in cards
  3. court — of law
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — a committee
  6. suit — to fit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. staff — a stick
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. dip — to sink
  13. board — to get on
  14. court — of a king
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hand — help
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. suit — in cards
  23. staff — employees
  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