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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. club — for dancing
  3. clip — for paper
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. club — for golf
  8. clip — a video
  9. object — to protest
  10. prune — to trim
  11. club — a group
  12. key — in music
  13. rock — music
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. scale — size or range
  16. object — a thing
  17. rock — a stone
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. key — the most important part
  20. prune — to trim
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — in music
  23. object — an aim
  24. board — to get on

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