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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 · jam · ground · spring · can · row · temple · chip

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spring — of water
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. can — to be able to
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — a coil
  9. court — for sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — a line
  15. ground — crushed
  16. spring — the season
  17. chip — to eat
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. court — of law
  20. ground — a position
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ground — the earth
  24. chip — in a computer

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