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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. key — in music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. perch — the fish
  9. key — for a lock
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — the most important part
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. charge — electricity
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. charge — in control
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. charge — a price
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. tear — from crying

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