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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. court — of law
  3. staff — employees
  4. bank — for money
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. key — the most important part
  7. net — for catching
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. face — part of the head
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. staff — a stick
  14. court — for sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — to point toward
  17. dip — to sink
  18. face — to confront
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. staff — employees
  22. net — in sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. net — after costs

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