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

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — for a lock
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rock — music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. rock — a stone
  14. court — of law
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. key — in music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pit — in a race
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pit — a hole

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