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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. key — in music
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. key — for a lock
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — letters
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. craft — boats
  12. cap — of ice
  13. key — the most important part
  14. perch — the fish
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cap — a hat
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bound — certain
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mine — for digging
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cap — a lid

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