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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: arm · rock · key · net · bear · spell · race · perch

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spell — letters
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. race — a contest
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. net — for catching
  12. rock — a stone
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. race — humankind
  16. perch — the fish
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rock — music
  21. race — the arms race
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. key — in music

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