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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. key — in music
  4. club — for golf
  5. key — the most important part
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. last — finally
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — steady
  16. track — a song
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. key — for a lock
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. game — wild animals
  24. club — for dancing

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