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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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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: mouse · firm · bay · bowl · perch · cell · key · bat

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. firm — steady
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. firm — a company
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. key — in music
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cell — a phone

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