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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rock — music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. key — in music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. club — for golf
  7. drill — army training
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. key — the most important part
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — a group
  18. rest — what's left
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rest — a break
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. can — to be able to

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