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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: perch · suit · rash · sharp · key · content · land · kick

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. key — the most important part
  3. land — ground
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. suit — in cards
  6. land — to come down
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. suit — clothes
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. perch — the fish
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. land — a country
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. kick — in football
  21. content — the amount
  22. suit — to fit
  23. sharp — clever
  24. content — happy

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