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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. band — a music group
  6. cue — a signal
  7. key — in music
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. spring — of water
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. band — a ring
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spring — the season
  15. ball — a dance
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — for a bird

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