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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.

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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. game — a match
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — the most important part
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spell — magic
  10. game — wild animals
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. key — for a lock
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. spring — of water
  17. perch — the fish
  18. spring — the season
  19. bear — the animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spell — letters
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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