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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · bank · scale · firm · temple · racket · key · field

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. content — happy
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bank — of a river
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. bank — for money
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. scale — size or range
  14. content — the amount
  15. field — farmland
  16. key — in music
  17. bank — for money
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. firm — a company

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