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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: bank · pit · ruler · sharp · squash · temple · court · last

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. court — of law
  8. bank — of a river
  9. court — for sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bank — for money
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. squash — to crush
  14. sharp — clever
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pit — in a race
  17. last — final
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. last — finally
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. last — to go on
  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