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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.

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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pass — a permit
  8. drill — the tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hand — help
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. drill — army training
  23. row — a line
  24. drill — a practice

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