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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. board — to get on
  3. bat — the animal
  4. suit — to fit
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rush — hurry
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. board — a committee
  12. suit — in cards
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — clothes
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. present — the time now
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. key — in music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. scale — in music

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