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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. firm — decided
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wind — moving air
  5. perch — the fish
  6. key — for a lock
  7. firm — steady
  8. last — to go on
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. firm — a company
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. fine — all right
  17. cue — a signal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. fine — high quality
  23. key — in music
  24. club — for dancing

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