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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 124 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rock — music
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bass — low music
  8. club — a group
  9. bass — the fish
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. club — for dancing
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. key — for a lock
  21. tube — a container
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. face — to confront
  24. rock — a stone

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