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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: mine · band · court · rest · fork · roll · bass · temple

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mine — for digging
  3. court — of law
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. band — a music group
  7. roll — a list
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. bass — low music
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fork — in a road
  21. band — a ring
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. court — for sport

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