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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · board · key · temple · foot · court · mouse · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. court — of a king
  6. sharp — clever
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. court — of law
  13. deal — to handle
  14. board — a committee
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. foot — a measure
  18. court — for sport
  19. key — for a lock
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. key — in music
  24. mouse — the animal

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