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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: court · scale · temple · cabinet · arm · wake · clip · firm

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. scale — in music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. court — for sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wake — a trail
  10. court — of law
  11. scale — size or range
  12. clip — a video
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. clip — to cut
  16. firm — steady
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. court — of a king
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. firm — decided
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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