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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
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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: suit · fan · season · cue · can · key · perch · rest

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — clothes
  4. can — a tin
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rest — a break
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cue — a signal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cue — for pool
  19. key — for a lock
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — of the year
  22. key — in music
  23. season — in sport
  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