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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cue — a signal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. key — for a lock
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — to go on
  7. cue — a hint
  8. current — happening now
  9. last — final
  10. perch — the fish
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — in music
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cue — for pool
  18. last — finally
  19. key — the most important part
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — electric
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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