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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. perch — the fish
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. can — to be able to
  7. key — the most important part
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wind — moving air
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. bound — tied together
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. roll — a list
  23. key — in music
  24. bound — certain

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