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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lean — thin
  3. key — in music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. key — the most important part
  6. club — for golf
  7. court — for sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — of a king
  11. staff — employees
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — to bend
  15. club — for dancing
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. club — a group
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — for a lock
  21. staff — a stick
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. court — of law

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