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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. key — in music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. charge — a price
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ball — a great time
  9. key — the most important part
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — in control
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. net — after costs
  15. key — for a lock
  16. net — in sport
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rest — a break
  21. net — for catching
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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