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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. key — the most important part
  4. court — for sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. roll — a list
  7. rest — what's left
  8. court — of a king
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. court — of law
  11. scale — size or range
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. scale — in music
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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