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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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468
Word bank
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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. row — to paddle
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. toast — bread
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — to shout
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. kid — to tease
  21. row — a line
  22. key — the most important part
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. racket — a loud noise

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