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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.

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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. key — the most important part
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. row — a line
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — for a lock
  7. squash — to crush
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. roll — a list
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. perch — the fish
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. squash — the sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. key — in music

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