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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — a group
  3. stand — to bear
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. key — in music
  9. squash — to crush
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. can — to be able to
  16. net — for catching
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — in sport
  19. drill — army training
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — the tool
  22. net — after costs
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fan — to cool the air

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