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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. club — a group
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — for golf
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. game — a match
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. key — for a lock
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cap — a lid
  23. game — wild animals
  24. key — in music

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