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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: firm · rest · court · temple · current · land · bear · rock

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. land — to come down
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rock — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. court — of law
  15. land — a country
  16. current — of water
  17. bear — the animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. rock — a stone
  22. land — ground
  23. firm — steady
  24. rest — what's left

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