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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. club — a group
  7. land — a country
  8. foot — a measure
  9. suit — clothes
  10. land — ground
  11. march — the month
  12. spring — a coil
  13. suit — to fit
  14. land — to come down
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. club — for golf
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. club — for dancing
  24. suit — in cards

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