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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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Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pit — in a race
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bass — low music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. key — the most important part
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bass — the fish
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. key — in music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bass — the instrument

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