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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. clip — a video
  4. mate — a friend
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bore — to drill
  7. club — for golf
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bore — to tire
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — a list
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — in music
  18. row — a line
  19. mate — a partner
  20. roll — a cake
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mate — to breed
  23. key — the most important part
  24. clip — to cut

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