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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. object — an aim
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. court — of a king
  5. firm — a company
  6. staff — employees
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. firm — decided
  9. court — of law
  10. firm — steady
  11. staff — a stick
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. suit — clothes
  16. swing — music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. staff — employees
  20. wax — to grow
  21. suit — in cards
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. temple — side of the head

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