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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 116 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. key — the most important part
  3. spell — letters
  4. key — in music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. spell — magic
  8. bat — the animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mine — for digging
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rock — music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. staff — employees
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mine — belonging to me

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