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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: pit · board · key · nail · ball · firm · rush · perch

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. firm — a company
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. key — in music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rush — hurry
  12. key — the most important part
  13. firm — steady
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — to get on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — a committee
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pit — a hole
  23. firm — decided
  24. ball — a great 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