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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. clip — to cut
  3. key — in music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. club — a group
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. club — for golf
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mark — a trace
  14. clip — a video
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ball — a dance
  18. safe — out of danger

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