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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. key — in music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. toast — bread
  8. key — for a lock
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pound — a weight
  14. face — part of the head
  15. roll — a cake
  16. hand — help
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — to point toward
  20. roll — a list
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. face — to confront

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