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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: ruler · swing · bulb · firm · temple · court · season · mug

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. firm — steady
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. swing — to play on
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. swing — music
  9. mug — a face
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mug — a cup
  12. season — of the year
  13. court — of a king
  14. firm — a company
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — of law
  17. mug — to rob
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. firm — decided
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. court — for sport

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