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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. swing — to play on
  3. staff — employees
  4. swing — in golf
  5. perch — the fish
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — a container
  9. key — for a lock
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rest — a break
  15. key — in music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tube — the underground
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. staff — employees
  23. swing — music
  24. nail — on a finger

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