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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · mark · chair · leaves · tube · rash · court · pound

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. court — for sport
  8. tube — a container
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. court — of law
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. court — of a king
  20. rash — a series
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chair — a leader
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pound — a weight

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