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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. club — for golf
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. key — in music
  10. band — a music group
  11. key — the most important part
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bat — the animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. snap — to click
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. band — a ring

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