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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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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: pit · perch · band · snap · mark · can · chair · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. band — a music group
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. band — a ring
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mark — a grade
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. key — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. chair — a leader
  20. perch — the fish
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. can — a tin
  23. mark — a trace
  24. can — a tin

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