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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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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: fork · land · chair · bulb · court · rock · temple · cell

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. chair — a professorship
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. land — a country
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fork — in a road
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. land — ground
  12. court — of law
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. land — to come down
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rock — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cell — a phone
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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