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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: fine · perch · sharp · toast · key · racket · bear · chest

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. toast — bread
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fine — high quality
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. key — the most important part
  11. perch — the fish
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — all right
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. key — in music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chest — a box
  23. key — for a lock
  24. sharp — with an edge

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