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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. club — for dancing
  3. chest — of your body
  4. key — in music
  5. current — of water
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mug — a cup
  8. current — electric
  9. mug — a face
  10. chest — of your body
  11. current — happening now
  12. mug — to rob
  13. key — for a lock
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — size or range
  17. club — for golf
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. club — a group
  21. chest — a box
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mate — a friend
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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