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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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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 is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — to keep track
  5. race — the arms race
  6. key — in music
  7. race — humankind
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. track — a path
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. last — finally
  13. race — a contest
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ball — a great time
  16. key — for a lock
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bear — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. key — the most important part
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. last — to go on
  24. ball — a dance

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