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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: temple · mug · sharp · file · bat · craft · court · bowl

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. craft — boats
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. file — a line of people
  13. court — of law
  14. file — a document
  15. mug — a face
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mug — to rob
  21. craft — a skill
  22. court — for sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mug — a cup

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