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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.

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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: key · saw · mouse · temple · band · last · stick · court

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. court — of law
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. last — finally
  9. key — in music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. last — final
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. last — to go on
  16. band — a music group
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. band — a ring
  22. court — for sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. court — of a king

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