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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. court — for sport
  4. last — final
  5. key — in music
  6. club — for golf
  7. last — finally
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. court — of law
  11. chest — of your body
  12. club — a group
  13. chest — a box
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. court — of a king
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. key — the most important part
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pass — a permit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. club — for dancing

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