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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: court · wake · fan · ball · cabinet · straw · temple · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. court — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — of law
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. ball — a great time
  21. court — of a king
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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