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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. key — for a lock
  3. band — a music group
  4. rule — a law
  5. shower — rain
  6. key — the most important part
  7. band — a ring
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. club — for golf
  13. key — in music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. club — a group
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rule — government
  24. rock — music

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