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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. land — to come down
  3. net — for catching
  4. court — of law
  5. net — in sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rest — what's left
  9. land — a country
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. land — ground
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. net — after costs
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rest — a break
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. court — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wake — a trail

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