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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cue — a hint
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cue — a signal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spring — the season
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. key — for a lock
  12. drill — the tool
  13. key — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. drill — army training
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spring — of water
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wound — an injury

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