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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. last — finally
  3. court — for sport
  4. cap — a hat
  5. firm — steady
  6. court — of law
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. scale — in music
  11. cap — a lid
  12. scale — size or range
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cap — of ice
  16. firm — a company
  17. court — of a king
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. firm — decided
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. scale — for weighing

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