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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. court — of law
  4. scale — in music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cue — a hint
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. scale — size or range
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cue — for pool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. key — for a lock
  21. court — for sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. court — of a king
  24. key — in music

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