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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: branch · court · bore · fine · temple · rush · safe · capital

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rush — hurry
  3. capital — a city
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. capital — money
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. court — of a king
  16. branch — a division
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. court — of law

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