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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: rock · racket · fall · key · degree · last · perch · date

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rock — a stone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. last — finally
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. key — the most important part
  7. last — final
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fall — the season
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fall — to drop
  13. date — the fruit
  14. degree — from a university
  15. key — in music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. key — for a lock
  24. last — to go on

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