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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · court · pop · foot · racket · stick · stock · temple

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. shower — to wash
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pop — to visit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pop — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — rain
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stock — shares
  17. pop — soda
  18. court — of a king
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. court — of law
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stock — goods

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