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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. club — for golf
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — money
  8. club — a group
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. key — the most important part
  15. squash — to crush
  16. key — in music
  17. capital — a city
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. key — for a lock
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. club — for dancing
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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