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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: court · temple · firm · bear · pop · bound · tube · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tube — a container
  3. bound — obliged
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. court — of law
  6. tube — the underground
  7. firm — decided
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. court — for sport
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. court — of a king
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pop — soda
  21. firm — steady
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pop — music
  24. firm — a company

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