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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. court — for sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. key — for a lock
  6. court — of law
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fine — all right
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. key — in music
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. court — of a king
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wind — moving air
  21. toast — bread
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stand — to bear
  24. dip — to sink

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