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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. net — after costs
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. key — in music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. club — a group
  11. net — in sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mine — for digging
  15. club — for dancing
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. key — the most important part
  20. net — for catching
  21. club — for golf
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mine — an explosive

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