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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fall — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chip — to eat
  11. club — for golf
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. chip — for betting
  14. shower — rain
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — in music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. key — the most important part
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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