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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.

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: pop · craft · key · stick · perch · shower · bound · bulb

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — music
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bound — certain
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bound — tied together
  8. key — for a lock
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bulb — for light
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. craft — boats
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pop — soda
  20. shower — rain
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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