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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: court · branch · mark · stand · deal · key · ground · temple

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ground — the earth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ground — a position
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. court — for sport
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mark — a grade
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. branch — a division
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. key — in music
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. temple — a place of worship

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