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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: spring · rock · mug · band · perch · pitcher · key · roll

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. key — in music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mug — a cup
  5. roll — a list
  6. perch — the fish
  7. key — the most important part
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mug — a face
  11. rock — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. band — a music group
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spring — of water
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. key — for a lock
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. band — a ring

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