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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: perch · kid · current · plane · season · club · key · court

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. current — of water
  5. club — for golf
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. plane — a tool
  8. court — for sport
  9. key — for a lock
  10. kid — to tease
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — a group
  13. court — of a king
  14. current — electric
  15. court — of law
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. current — happening now
  18. perch — the fish
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. season — in sport
  21. key — the most important part
  22. club — for dancing
  23. kid — child
  24. season — of the year

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