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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. court — of law
  5. staff — a stick
  6. court — of a king
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cabinet — ministers

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