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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. cap — of ice
  4. land — a country
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cue — a hint
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cap — a hat
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cue — for pool
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cue — a signal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cell — in biology
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cell — a phone
  22. key — the most important part
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. foot — 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