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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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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. toast — bread
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pop — to visit
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. face — to confront
  10. bound — obliged
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pop — soda
  14. key — in music
  15. pop — music
  16. bound — certain
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pound — a weight
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cue — a hint
  24. perch — for a bird

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