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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. track — a song
  4. object — to protest
  5. charge — a price
  6. prune — to trim
  7. object — a thing
  8. mine — for digging
  9. track — to keep track
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. club — for golf
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. key — for a lock
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. track — a path
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. club — for dancing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. club — a group
  24. object — an aim

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