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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. scale — size or range
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rock — music
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chest — of your body
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chest — of your body
  11. scale — in music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. tube — a container
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chest — a box
  21. key — in music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. racket — for tennis

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