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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. board — to get on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — the most important part
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rest — a break
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. club — for golf
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spring — the season
  16. plane — a tool
  17. club — for dancing
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bulb — for light
  20. key — in music
  21. track — a path
  22. spring — of water
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — a committee

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