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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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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. key — for a lock
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. key — the most important part
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mark — a trace
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. key — in music
  15. current — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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