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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. dip — to sink
  3. last — final
  4. court — of law
  5. key — the most important part
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. last — finally
  9. squash — to crush
  10. court — of a king
  11. pitch — completely
  12. last — to go on
  13. key — for a lock
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. capital — a city
  23. court — for sport
  24. dip — a sauce

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