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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. kid — child
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — a group
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. club — for golf
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — to tease
  13. perch — the fish
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. pound — a weight
  17. key — the most important part
  18. club — for dancing
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — for a bird

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