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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.

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: mine · last · roll · perch · pit · key · drill · foot

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. last — to go on
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pit — a hole
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. last — finally
  13. mine — for digging
  14. drill — army training
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. last — final
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. key — in music
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. foot — a measure

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