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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pass — a permit
  4. court — of law
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. land — to come down
  10. court — for sport
  11. perch — the fish
  12. land — ground
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. key — for a lock
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. land — a country
  20. court — of a king
  21. bank — for money
  22. key — in music
  23. cue — a hint
  24. perch — for a bird

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