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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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. spell — a short time
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — a group
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. chest — of your body
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — magic
  15. court — for sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. court — of a king
  20. chest — a box
  21. club — for golf
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. court — of law
  24. key — for a lock

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