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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lean — to bend
  4. track — a song
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. object — a thing
  11. mark — a trace
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. object — an aim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lean — thin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. object — to protest
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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