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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 120 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: object · court · fine · ball · snap · bay · temple · pitcher

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. court — of a king
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. snap — to click
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. object — to protest
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. object — an aim
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. object — a thing
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fine — high quality
  18. court — for sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. court — of law
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ball — a dance

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