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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rule — government
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. key — in music
  11. rule — a law
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. season — in sport
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. key — the most important part
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. club — for golf
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. club — for dancing

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