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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. track — a path
  5. bore — to tire
  6. track — a song
  7. object — a thing
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. key — for a lock
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. object — an aim
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. branch — a division
  17. rash — a series
  18. track — to keep track
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rash — on the skin

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