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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bore — to drill
  3. court — of law
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wind — moving air
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. court — for sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. club — for dancing
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. club — a group
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. ball — a dance
  16. court — of a king
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. club — for golf
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cabinet — ministers

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