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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. last — finally
  6. key — for a lock
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. ground — a position
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ground — the earth
  20. last — final
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — in music
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ground — crushed

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