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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 the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. key — the most important part
  4. perch — the fish
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cap — a lid
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — a match
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cap — a hat
  19. key — in music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. key — for a lock
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cap — of ice
  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