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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. club — for golf
  5. band — a ring
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. object — a thing
  8. shower — to wash
  9. perch — the fish
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bass — low music
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. club — a group
  15. mate — a partner
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. object — an aim
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mate — to breed
  20. key — for a lock
  21. shower — rain
  22. key — in music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. object — to protest

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