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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: squash · current · temple · content · rest · pop · court · racket

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. current — electric
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. court — for sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. squash — to crush
  8. court — of law
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pop — music
  11. current — of water
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pop — soda
  15. content — happy
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pop — to visit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. content — the amount
  20. rest — a break
  21. current — happening now
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. court — of a king

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