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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.

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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: present · temple · court · cabinet · hand · bowl · row · shower

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. row — to paddle
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — a gift
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. row — a line
  13. present — the time now
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. shower — rain
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hand — help
  23. present — there
  24. bowl — a dish

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