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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ball — a dance
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. key — in music
  7. club — for dancing
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — the most important part
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. staff — a stick
  13. dip — to sink
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. club — for golf
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. club — a group
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. ball — a great time
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. staff — employees
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. key — for a lock

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