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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · pass · patient · perch · key · row · calf · bound

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bound — certain
  3. row — to paddle
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. key — in music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pass — a permit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bound — obliged
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bound — tied together
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bat — the animal

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