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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.

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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
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: key · perch · squash · rash · content · rule · track · leaves

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rash — hasty
  3. track — a song
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. key — in music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rule — government
  9. track — a path
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. squash — to crush
  13. content — the amount
  14. key — for a lock
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rule — a law
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. squash — the sport
  20. perch — the fish
  21. content — happy
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rash — a series

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