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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: leaves · wave · game · temple · foot · court · chip · firm

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. game — a match
  3. firm — a company
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. firm — steady
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. game — wild animals
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — decided
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. court — of law
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. chip — in a computer

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