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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: firm · court · press · jam · temple · stand · prune · sharp

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. court — of a king
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. court — for sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. firm — a company
  10. press — newspapers
  11. firm — steady
  12. press — to push
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. sharp — clever
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. court — of law
  21. firm — decided
  22. press — a publisher
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. prune — to trim

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