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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rush — hurry
  3. firm — a company
  4. club — for dancing
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. firm — steady
  7. squash — the sport
  8. craft — a skill
  9. tube — the underground
  10. key — in music
  11. tube — a container
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. spell — letters
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. craft — boats
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. squash — to crush
  24. firm — decided

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