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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 was this ________________ built?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. scale — size or range
  3. object — an aim
  4. ball — a great time
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. object — a thing
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. tear — from crying
  13. object — to protest
  14. tear — from crying
  15. court — of a king
  16. scale — in music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. tear — to rip
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  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