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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rash — a series
  4. key — in music
  5. rash — hasty
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. board — to get on
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a committee
  17. branch — a division
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rest — what's left
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. key — for a lock

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