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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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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. roll — a cake
  3. track — to keep track
  4. key — in music
  5. cue — a signal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. roll — a list
  11. cue — for pool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. snap — to click
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. track — a path
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. track — a song
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. arm — a part of something

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