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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: temple · row · club · ruler · drill · game · court · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. court — for sport
  3. drill — the tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. drill — a practice
  8. game — wild animals
  9. drill — army training
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. club — for dancing
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. row — to paddle
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. row — a line
  21. game — a match
  22. court — of a king
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. court — of law

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