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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · temple · perch · racket · land · can · mine · pit

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — a hole
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. key — in music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. key — for a lock
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. land — a country
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. land — ground
  12. key — the most important part
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. land — to come down
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. perch — the fish
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — for digging

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