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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. key — for a lock
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. march — the month
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. current — electric
  11. key — the most important part
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. current — happening now
  15. key — in music
  16. march — the month
  17. current — of water
  18. fine — all right
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. march — music
  24. race — humankind

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