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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.

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: rush · foot · chest · temple · ruler · stand · court · game

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. game — a match
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. court — of law
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — for sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. game — wild animals
  21. chest — a box
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. court — of a king
  24. foot — the bottom

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