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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. court — of a king
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spring — of water
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. court — for sport
  8. spring — the season
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bore — to drill
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. swing — music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spring — a coil
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. court — of law
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. dip — to dunk

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