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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 120 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: spell · key · perch · mine · chair · prune · drill · pit

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. drill — a practice
  8. spell — letters
  9. chair — a leader
  10. spell — a short time
  11. key — the most important part
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. spell — magic
  22. drill — army training
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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