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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: leaves · bat · cue · perch · fan · plane · jam · key

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. key — the most important part
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cue — for pool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. key — in music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cue — a signal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. jam — a tight spot

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