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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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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: bear · rule · key · perch · fall · swing · ground · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ground — the earth
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rule — a law
  6. swing — music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. key — in music
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — government
  13. fall — to drop
  14. swing — to play on
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fall — the season
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. key — for a lock

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