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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 piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. game — wild animals
  7. last — final
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — to go on
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pound — a weight
  13. staff — employees
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. key — for a lock
  16. game — a match
  17. last — finally
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. key — the most important part
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pound — for dogs

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