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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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Word bank
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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. key — for a lock
  5. club — a group
  6. drill — army training
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. key — in music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fine — all right
  12. drill — a practice
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. drill — the tool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fine — high quality
  24. key — the most important part

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