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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 120 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 just a dried plum.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — the most important part
  4. court — of a king
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ball — a dance
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — in music
  13. cap — a lid
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. court — of law
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — for sport
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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