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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: suit · mug · key · bat · perch · hand · scale · track

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. key — for a lock
  5. track — a path
  6. suit — in cards
  7. key — in music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. scale — in music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. suit — clothes
  12. hand — in cards
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — a song
  22. hand — help
  23. bat — the animal
  24. scale — size or range

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