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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: rock · ball · object · court · current · stem · temple · cap

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stem — to come from
  3. object — an aim
  4. court — of law
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cap — a hat
  7. object — to protest
  8. current — of water
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rock — music
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. current — electric
  16. cap — a lid
  17. court — of a king
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. object — a thing
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. current — happening now

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