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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: mouse · spring · rash · date · key · perch · court · pit

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pit — in a race
  7. date — the fruit
  8. rash — a series
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spring — of water
  15. court — of a king
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. key — in music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. court — of law
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. court — for sport
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mouse — for a computer

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