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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · court · temple · safe · can · bat · mark · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. court — of law
  7. mark — a trace
  8. can — to be able to
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. can — a tin
  16. club — for golf
  17. mark — a grade
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. club — a group
  24. can — a tin

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