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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ball — a dance
  4. club — for golf
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bear — the animal
  10. key — in music
  11. game — a match
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spring — of water
  16. club — for dancing
  17. spring — a coil
  18. game — wild animals
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spring — the season
  22. ball — a great time
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bear — 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