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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. scale — size or range
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. toast — bread
  8. court — for sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. court — of a king
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. court — of law
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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