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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a ring
  7. key — in music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitch — completely
  11. club — for dancing
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. band — a music group
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pit — a hole
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spell — magic
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. spell — a short time
  23. key — the most important part
  24. club — a group

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