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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. key — the most important part
  3. suit — in cards
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cue — a hint
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bear — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. spring — of water
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spring — a coil
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cue — for pool
  22. suit — to fit
  23. spring — the season
  24. key — in music

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