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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. land — to come down
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. land — a country
  7. cue — for pool
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lean — thin
  10. key — for a lock
  11. field — farmland
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. field — a subject
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. land — ground
  19. cue — a hint
  20. club — for golf
  21. field — for sport
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lean — to bend

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