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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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Word bank
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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: can · temple · court · leaves · cabinet · branch · bowl · coach

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — a division
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. court — of law
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. court — of a king
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. can — to be able to
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. can — a tin
  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