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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: face · rash · racket · chip · leaves · perch · key · bay

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rash — hasty
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rash — a series
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. key — in music
  22. perch — the fish
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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