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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spell — magic
  4. key — in music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. spell — a short time
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spell — letters
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. club — a group
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. key — for a lock
  23. club — for golf
  24. mine — an explosive

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