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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: temple · pop · trunk · bass · court · squash · net · race

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. net — in sport
  3. race — humankind
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. court — of law
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pop — to visit
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. net — for catching
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. race — a contest
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. net — after costs
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. court — for sport
  24. squash — the sport

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