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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: can · arm · court · bowl · leaves · pound · temple · spell

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. spell — letters
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. can — to be able to
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. court — of law
  9. spell — magic
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. court — for sport
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pound — a weight
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — to go away
  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