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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
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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: shower · scale · band · mug · court · rest · stem · temple

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mug — to rob
  5. scale — in music
  6. rest — a break
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mug — a cup
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. band — a ring
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rest — what's left
  14. band — a music group
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mug — a face
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. scale — size or range
  24. shower — rain

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