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

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pit — a hole
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. season — of the year
  12. game — a match
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. key — in music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. season — in sport
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. perch — the fish

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