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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: club · bear · temple · pass · jam · sharp · court · capital

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. court — of law
  8. bear — the animal
  9. club — for golf
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. court — for sport
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. club — for dancing
  16. court — of a king
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. sharp — clever
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pass — a permit
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. bear — the animal

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