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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. key — the most important part
  6. court — of a king
  7. ground — a position
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lie — to recline
  10. court — of law
  11. key — for a lock
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cap — a lid
  15. ground — crushed
  16. key — in music
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cap — of ice
  24. lie — an untruth

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