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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · pit · pass · season · tear · rest · temple · kick

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. rest — a break
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rest — what's left
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — in a race
  12. kick — in football
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pass — a permit
  15. season — in sport
  16. court — for sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. season — of the year
  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