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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 a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stem — to come from
  4. court — of law
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bore — to drill
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hand — in cards
  12. court — for sport
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bank — of a river
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. bank — for money
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bank — for money

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