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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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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: saw · ball · temple · toast · fine · last · shower · court

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. last — finally
  3. court — for sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. court — of law
  7. toast — bread
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. shower — to wash
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. last — to go on
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fine — all right
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. last — final
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ball — a dance
  21. saw — the tool
  22. shower — rain
  23. court — of a king
  24. saw — the tool

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