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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mate — to breed
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mate — a partner
  7. board — a committee
  8. pop — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cap — a lid
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mate — a friend
  14. board — to get on
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cap — a hat
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. key — in music
  24. pop — soda

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