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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. roll — a list
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. roll — a cake
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. chip — to eat
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. chip — for betting
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. key — in music
  22. snap — to click
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. arm — part of the body

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