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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. court — of a king
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chip — to eat
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. court — for sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. firm — a company
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. court — of law
  21. last — final
  22. firm — decided
  23. ball — a dance
  24. temple — side of the head

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