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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ground — a position
  3. plane — a tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ground — the earth
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. perch — the fish
  11. suit — to fit
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. sharp — clever
  14. game — wild animals
  15. suit — clothes
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ground — crushed
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. key — the most important part
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. suit — in cards
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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