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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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. court — of a king
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. key — in music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — for a lock
  11. field — a subject
  12. bank — for money
  13. court — for sport
  14. field — for sport
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. spell — magic
  17. field — farmland
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. spell — letters
  22. court — of law
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. swing — in golf

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