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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fine — high quality
  3. perch — the fish
  4. roll — a cake
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. roll — a list
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fine — all right
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. tear — from crying
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. key — in music

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