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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. perch — the fish
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. kick — in football
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cue — for pool
  12. key — in music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. race — humankind
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cue — a signal

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