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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. suit — to fit
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. key — for a lock
  8. content — happy
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — in music
  11. kick — in football
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. key — the most important part
  14. season — in sport
  15. staff — employees
  16. drill — army training
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. season — of the year
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. content — the amount
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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