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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · dip · date · perch · kick · key · deal · chair

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ball — a great time
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ball — a dance
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. dip — to sink
  17. date — the fruit
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. kick — in football
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chair — a leader
  24. perch — for a bird

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