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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: perch · key · band · game · toast · bowl · shower · row

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. key — the most important part
  3. perch — the fish
  4. shower — rain
  5. toast — bread
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. row — to paddle
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. game — wild animals
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. band — a music group
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — a match
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. key — for a lock
  18. band — a ring
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. row — a line
  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