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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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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: cap · court · jam · bowl · temple · branch · racket · safe

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. branch — a division
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — for sport
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. court — of a king
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. court — of law
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cap — of ice

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