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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 120 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: board · mine · temple · court · swing · lean · firm · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lean — to bend
  3. board — a committee
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. court — of law
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. swing — in golf
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. firm — decided
  14. swing — music
  15. board — to get on
  16. court — for sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. court — of a king
  19. lean — thin
  20. swing — to play on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — in sport
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lean — to rest against

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