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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. club — a group
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. key — the most important part
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. current — electric
  11. key — in music
  12. spring — the season
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. spring — of water
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. current — of water
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. toast — bread
  20. current — happening now
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. club — for dancing
  24. spring — a coil

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