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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rush — hurry
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. club — a group
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. club — for golf
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. dip — to sink
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ball — a dance
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. key — in music
  24. rush — a thrill

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