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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: key · perch · suit · field · cap · swing · row · foot

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. field — a subject
  4. key — in music
  5. cap — a lid
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. swing — music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cap — a hat
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cap — of ice
  12. field — farmland
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. swing — in golf
  15. suit — in cards
  16. perch — the fish
  17. foot — a measure
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — to fit
  20. swing — to play on
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. field — for sport

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