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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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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: lean · key · cabinet · race · perch · court · cue · dip

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. race — humankind
  3. court — of law
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. lean — thin
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cue — a signal
  12. race — a contest
  13. key — the most important part
  14. race — the arms race
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. court — of a king
  24. dip — a sauce

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