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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: firm · foot · court · leaves · temple · chip · last · stand

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. firm — steady
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. firm — a company
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chip — to eat
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. last — finally
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — of a king
  12. chip — for betting
  13. firm — decided
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. court — of law
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. last — to go on
  23. court — for sport
  24. last — final

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