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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. net — in sport
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. face — part of the head
  6. key — the most important part
  7. net — after costs
  8. key — for a lock
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — in music
  13. object — an aim
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. net — for catching
  17. board — to get on
  18. perch — the fish
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. object — a thing
  24. ball — a great time

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