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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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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: drill · bulb · stand · band · temple · court · chair · bank

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bulb — for light
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. court — of a king
  16. band — a ring
  17. bank — for money
  18. drill — army training
  19. bank — for money
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of law
  22. drill — a practice
  23. band — a music group
  24. stand — to bear

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