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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. file — a tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. file — a document
  9. game — a match
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. file — a line of people
  14. club — for dancing
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. key — in music
  24. saw — the tool

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