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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. key — for a lock
  3. perch — the fish
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. degree — from a university
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ball — a dance
  22. degree — an amount
  23. key — in music
  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