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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · mine · fan · pop · nail · bound · key · perch

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bound — obliged
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bound — certain
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pop — music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mine — for digging
  13. key — in music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pop — soda
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. perch — the fish
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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