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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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. court — for sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — of law
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. court — of a king
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rock — music
  20. drill — a practice
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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