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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.

Make a worksheet

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: court · game · bank · mug · perch · sharp · rest · temple

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bank — of a river
  3. perch — the fish
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. game — a match
  7. bank — for money
  8. court — of law
  9. mug — a cup
  10. game — wild animals
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bank — for money
  13. court — of a king
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — to rob
  19. court — for sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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