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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. key — for a lock
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bore — to tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. key — in music
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. track — a path

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