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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. key — the most important part
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ground — a position
  9. perch — the fish
  10. tube — a container
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fork — in a road
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ground — the earth
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ground — crushed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. spell — letters
  20. key — in music
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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