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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. capital — money
  4. rash — a series
  5. band — a ring
  6. charge — in control
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rash — hasty
  12. charge — a price
  13. band — a music group
  14. key — in music
  15. capital — a city
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wound — an injury
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. key — for a lock
  22. club — for golf
  23. land — ground
  24. charge — electricity

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