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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
468
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: perch · fine · ground · key · squash · kick · lean · march

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — thin
  4. ground — a position
  5. perch — the fish
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lean — to bend
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — to crush
  10. kick — in football
  11. key — for a lock
  12. march — the month
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. march — music
  15. key — in music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ground — the earth
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ground — crushed

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