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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. suit — to fit
  3. club — a group
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. key — in music
  13. suit — clothes
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. suit — in cards
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. band — a ring
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bat — the animal

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