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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. court — for sport
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. face — to confront
  7. key — in music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. net — after costs
  11. suit — clothes
  12. court — of law
  13. net — for catching
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cell — a phone
  17. court — of a king
  18. net — in sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bark — to shout
  21. suit — in cards
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cell — in biology
  24. key — the most important part

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