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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: mug · firm · dip · last · key · pit · spell · perch

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. spell — magic
  3. mug — a face
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. last — final
  6. firm — steady
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. last — finally
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pit — in a race
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. key — in music
  17. last — to go on
  18. perch — the fish
  19. firm — a company
  20. pit — a hole
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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