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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — in music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bound — certain
  9. ground — the earth
  10. content — happy
  11. ground — a position
  12. bound — obliged
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. key — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rock — a stone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rock — 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