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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cue — a signal
  6. object — a thing
  7. key — for a lock
  8. object — an aim
  9. ground — the earth
  10. object — to protest
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ground — crushed
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ground — a position
  18. cue — for pool
  19. key — in music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. can — a tin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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