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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. prune — to trim
  4. club — a group
  5. key — the most important part
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. club — for golf
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bank — for money
  21. mark — a grade
  22. hand — help
  23. bank — of a river
  24. band — a music group

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