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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — steady
  4. mug — a face
  5. kid — to tease
  6. land — ground
  7. mug — a cup
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. land — to come down
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. drill — a practice
  13. firm — a company
  14. drill — army training
  15. kid — child
  16. key — in music
  17. firm — decided
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mark — a trace
  20. land — a country
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mug — to rob
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mark — a grade

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