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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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468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. club — a group
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. race — a contest
  6. key — for a lock
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. key — in music
  15. content — the amount
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. race — humankind
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. race — the arms race

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