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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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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: branch · key · club · chest · bulb · temple · court · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bulb — for light
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — of a king
  7. chest — a box
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. club — a group
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. key — in music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. club — for golf
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. key — the most important part
  24. branch — a division

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