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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · perch · suit · rest · court · drill · key · jam

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — after costs
  4. suit — to fit
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. key — in music
  7. drill — army training
  8. court — of law
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rest — a break
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — for sport
  15. drill — a practice
  16. net — for catching
  17. suit — clothes
  18. drill — the tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. suit — in cards
  21. court — of a king
  22. key — for a lock
  23. perch — the fish
  24. net — in sport

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