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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: key · pop · bound · ruler · perch · capital · mouse · ball

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bound — certain
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pop — soda
  15. capital — money
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pop — music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ball — a dance
  21. key — in music
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mouse — the animal

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