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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.

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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fine — high quality
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — for a lock
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — all right
  7. scale — in music
  8. perch — the fish
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. shower — rain
  13. scale — size or range
  14. key — in music
  15. game — a match
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. shower — to wash
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — the most important part
  21. game — wild animals
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. plane — an aircraft

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