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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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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: swing · mark · bay · key · perch · bulb · scale · rule

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. scale — for weighing
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — a trace
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rule — a law
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rule — government
  14. mark — a grade
  15. scale — in music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. key — in music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. swing — music
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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