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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: rock · wave · firm · temple · club · court · degree · mate

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rock — music
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rock — a stone
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mate — to breed
  11. degree — from a university
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. degree — temperature
  16. court — for sport
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. club — a group
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. mate — a partner
  22. court — of a king
  23. firm — a company
  24. club — for golf

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