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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. club — for golf
  4. key — in music
  5. club — a group
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. club — for dancing
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stock — goods
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — to drill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stock — shares
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. jam — a tight spot

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