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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. chest — of your body
  5. court — of a king
  6. swing — in golf
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mug — a face
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. court — for sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. ball — a great time
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mug — to rob
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. court — of law
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chest — a box

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