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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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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: game · temple · foot · court · fall · row · drill · last

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fall — the season
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. last — finally
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. last — final
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fall — to drop
  11. game — wild animals
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. row — a line
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. game — a match
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. last — to go on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. court — for sport
  23. drill — army training
  24. game — a kind of play

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