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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pass — a permit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spring — of water
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spring — the season
  18. race — humankind
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. key — the most important part
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fork — in a road
  24. perch — the fish

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