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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: wake · court · chip · key · temple · pound · wound · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. key — in music
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. court — of a king
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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