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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. row — a line
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cue — a signal
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. row — to paddle
  15. key — in music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bound — certain
  20. cue — a hint
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. key — for a lock

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