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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. key — the most important part
  7. court — of a king
  8. mark — a grade
  9. scale — size or range
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. court — of law
  13. mark — a trace
  14. key — in music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. prune — to trim
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. prune — to trim
  19. scale — in music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. court — for sport
  24. temple — a place of worship

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