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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. land — to come down
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. land — ground
  9. plane — a tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. club — for dancing
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. club — for golf
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. land — a country
  20. rock — music
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — a group
  24. rock — a stone

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