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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. key — in music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rock — music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. club — for golf
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wax — to grow
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cabinet — ministers

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