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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — in football
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mate — to breed
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. court — of law
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. court — for sport
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. ball — a great time
  24. court — of a king

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