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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cue · content · key · perch · band · court · mug · rash

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mug — a face
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. content — happy
  10. band — a ring
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. key — in music
  14. mug — a cup
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. key — the most important part
  17. band — a music group
  18. content — the amount
  19. court — of a king
  20. cue — a signal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. court — for sport
  23. rash — a series
  24. court — of law

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