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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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468
Word bank
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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. perch — the fish
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. scale — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. scale — size or range
  16. key — for a lock
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. saw — the tool
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. saw — the tool

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