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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. key — in music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. object — an aim
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. present — a gift
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rock — a stone
  10. track — a path
  11. object — a thing
  12. present — there
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. perch — the fish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — a line
  18. object — to protest
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. present — the time now
  23. rock — music
  24. row — to paddle

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