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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: spring · temple · court · jam · charge · pit · deal · dip

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. court — of a king
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spring — the season
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spring — of water
  10. pit — a hole
  11. charge — a price
  12. court — of law
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. charge — in control
  17. pit — in a race
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. court — for sport
  24. charge — electricity

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