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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. court — of a king
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ground — the earth
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. court — of law
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — a division
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. band — a music group
  21. court — for sport
  22. band — a ring
  23. club — a group
  24. temple — a place of worship

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