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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: pound · content · lash · key · date · perch · pitcher · board

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. content — the amount
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. key — for a lock
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. content — happy
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. board — a committee
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. board — to get on
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. key — in music
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. date — on the calendar

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