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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bore — to tire
  4. squash — the sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — letters
  8. key — in music
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bore — to drill
  11. hand — help
  12. stock — shares
  13. charge — in control
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. charge — electricity
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hand — in cards
  18. charge — a price
  19. stock — goods
  20. perch — the fish
  21. spell — magic
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. squash — the vegetable

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