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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ground — crushed
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. perch — the fish
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a ring
  8. key — the most important part
  9. band — a music group
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ground — a position
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — a line
  24. key — in music

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