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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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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. club — a group
  3. key — the most important part
  4. firm — steady
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. clip — to cut
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. firm — decided
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mate — to breed
  15. clip — for paper
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mate — a partner
  19. club — for golf
  20. firm — a company
  21. key — in music
  22. clip — a video
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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