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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. perch — the fish
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fine — all right
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. season — in sport
  8. fine — high quality
  9. key — in music
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chip — for betting
  21. key — for a lock
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. season — of the year
  24. land — to come down

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