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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. perch — the fish
  4. key — for a lock
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pop — soda
  9. pit — in a race
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. key — in music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pop — music
  19. game — a match
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pit — a hole
  22. game — wild animals
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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