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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. club — for golf
  6. clip — for paper
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mine — for digging
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. suit — in cards
  13. clip — to cut
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. suit — clothes
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. clip — a video
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. suit — to fit

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