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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: club · court · degree · temple · rash · rock · can · rush

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. can — a tin
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. club — a group
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rock — music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. can — to be able to
  14. court — for sport
  15. club — for golf
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. court — of a king
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. club — for dancing
  22. can — a tin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rock — a stone

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