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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. key — the most important part
  3. perch — the fish
  4. key — for a lock
  5. spring — of water
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. can — to be able to
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. charge — in control
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. charge — electricity
  16. can — a tin
  17. charge — a price
  18. drill — the tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. branch — a division
  21. spring — a coil
  22. key — in music
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — of a tree

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