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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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 dancing
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fall — the season
  5. key — the most important part
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bark — to shout
  10. branch — a division
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. key — in music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. club — for golf
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  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