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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bank — for money
  4. can — a tin
  5. spring — the season
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spring — a coil
  9. board — a committee
  10. bore — to tire
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. can — to be able to
  14. spring — of water
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — the fish
  20. key — for a lock
  21. board — to get on
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. board — a flat piece

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