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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. key — in music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ground — a position
  4. spell — letters
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spell — magic
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — for a lock
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. key — the most important part
  20. prune — to trim
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. perch — the fish
  24. racket — for tennis

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