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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 120 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: key · rock · perch · kid · bear · dip · track · bass

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kid — child
  4. track — a path
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — music
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rock — a stone
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bass — low music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — to keep track
  21. perch — the fish
  22. track — a song
  23. key — in music
  24. bass — the fish

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