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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.

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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: spell · foot · perch · stand · game · key · bulb · bore

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. key — for a lock
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. key — the most important part
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — in music
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. game — wild animals
  11. spell — magic
  12. bore — to drill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — a match
  15. spell — letters
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — a short time
  24. perch — the fish

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