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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. club — a group
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. last — final
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pound — a weight
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. last — finally
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. club — for golf
  23. key — for a lock
  24. last — to go 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