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

Word bank: fork · chair · cabinet · straw · deal · key · temple · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fork — in a road
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — for a lock
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. key — in music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. deal — to handle
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. key — the most important part

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