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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. squash — the sport
  3. season — in sport
  4. key — in music
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. club — for golf
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. season — of the year
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ground — a position
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. club — a group
  21. pound — a weight
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wave — with your hand

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