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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fork — in a road
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cue — a signal
  11. key — in music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. swing — to play on
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cue — for pool
  17. key — for a lock
  18. swing — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. perch — the fish
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cue — a hint

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