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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 120 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — low music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. key — in music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. rock — music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. key — for a lock
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spell — a short time
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fan — a supporter

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