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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. key — for a lock
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. key — the most important part
  8. club — for golf
  9. craft — a skill
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. root — the cause
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. key — in music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. squash — to crush
  20. root — of a word
  21. file — a document
  22. craft — boats
  23. file — a tool
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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