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

Word bank: wind · perch · rule · key · hide · racket · roll · pit

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. roll — a list
  5. pit — a hole
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wind — moving air
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rule — government
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rule — a law
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. roll — a cake
  21. key — for a lock
  22. perch — the fish
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pit — in a race

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