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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.

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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: net · cap · bound · temple · stem · court · cue · kick

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. kick — in football
  4. court — of a king
  5. cue — for pool
  6. net — in sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. court — for sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. net — after costs
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. net — for catching
  14. cap — a lid
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. court — of law
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stem — to come from

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