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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: hand · object · land · temple · court · current · ball · cabinet

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. court — of a king
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. object — an aim
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — help
  11. current — of water
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. court — for sport
  14. land — to come down
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — of law
  17. current — happening now
  18. object — a thing
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. object — to protest
  21. land — ground
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. current — electric
  24. hand — in cards

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