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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. key — the most important part
  6. club — for golf
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bound — obliged
  9. prune — to trim
  10. object — a thing
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. object — to protest
  13. club — a group
  14. mug — a cup
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bound — tied together
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bound — certain
  22. mug — a face
  23. object — an aim
  24. march — the month

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