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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bank — for money
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. clip — a video
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bank — of a river
  9. key — in music
  10. ball — a dance
  11. key — the most important part
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — for paper
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — a group
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. club — for golf
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — ministers

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