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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. key — for a lock
  8. game — a match
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. club — for golf
  12. land — to come down
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. key — the most important part
  17. club — a group
  18. saw — the tool
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. key — in music
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. game — wild animals

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