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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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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 · race · toast · bat · season · hide · file · key

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. toast — bread
  7. key — for a lock
  8. file — a tool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. key — the most important part
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. bat — the animal
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. key — in music
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. race — a contest
  22. file — a document
  23. race — humankind
  24. perch — for a bird

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