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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 a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. club — a group
  2. court — of a king
  3. object — to protest
  4. content — happy
  5. rule — government
  6. branch — a division
  7. key — the most important part
  8. object — an aim
  9. club — for dancing
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rule — a law
  12. court — for sport
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. object — a thing
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. key — in music
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. club — for golf
  22. content — the amount
  23. court — of law
  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