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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. march — music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wax — to grow
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. game — a match
  13. march — the month
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. squash — the sport
  23. march — the month
  24. chip — to eat

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