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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. march — the month
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. key — for a lock
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. key — in music
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rash — a series
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. march — the month
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rash — hasty
  21. march — music
  22. track — a path
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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