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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. key — in music
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rock — music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — for golf
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. club — a group
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. capital — money
  18. date — the fruit
  19. capital — a city
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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