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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. band — a ring
  6. key — in music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. field — a subject
  9. cue — for pool
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. cue — a hint
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cue — a signal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. club — a group
  18. wind — moving air
  19. key — the most important part
  20. band — a music group
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. club — for golf

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