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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — a coil
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spring — the season
  8. board — to get on
  9. roll — a list
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bat — the animal
  12. key — for a lock
  13. board — a committee
  14. spring — of water
  15. rest — what's left
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. perch — the fish
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rest — a break
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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