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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · temple · club · court · season · chip · net · chair

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. club — for golf
  3. court — for sport
  4. mug — a face
  5. chip — to eat
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chip — for betting
  10. net — for catching
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mug — a cup
  13. net — after costs
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mug — to rob
  16. club — a group
  17. court — of law
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. season — in sport
  22. net — in sport
  23. chair — a leader
  24. court — of a king

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