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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · leaves · key · cap · perch · race · game · coach

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. race — the arms race
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. race — a contest
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. perch — the fish
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. key — for a lock
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. key — in music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. game — a match
  20. cap — of ice
  21. race — humankind
  22. cap — a lid
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rash — a series

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