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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. key — the most important part
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. prune — to trim
  5. club — a group
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. key — in music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bound — certain
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. club — for golf
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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