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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 · object · season · hand · pop · staff · pitcher · temple

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. staff — employees
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. object — a thing
  8. court — of a king
  9. pop — soda
  10. court — for sport
  11. object — to protest
  12. pop — music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. object — an aim
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. staff — employees
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. court — of law
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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