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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cue — a hint
  4. spring — a coil
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. file — a tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spring — the season
  11. land — a country
  12. key — for a lock
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. spring — of water
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. board — to get on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. land — ground
  22. cue — a signal
  23. file — a document
  24. perch — for a bird

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