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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. drill — the tool
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cue — a signal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ball — a great time
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. drill — army training
  15. present — a gift
  16. perch — the fish
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bound — obliged
  19. present — there
  20. bound — certain
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cue — for pool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. racket — for tennis

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