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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. squash — to crush
  7. charge — in control
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. swing — music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. squash — the sport
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. key — for a lock
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. shower — rain
  19. bear — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. swing — in golf
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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