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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. chest — a box
  3. shower — rain
  4. track — a path
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — to wash
  7. track — to keep track
  8. club — for dancing
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. club — for golf
  11. track — a song
  12. key — in music
  13. rest — a break
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chest — of your body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. club — a group
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rest — what's left

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