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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rest — what's left
  3. club — for golf
  4. rest — a break
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mine — for digging
  10. club — for dancing
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. tear — to rip
  15. club — a group
  16. key — in music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tear — from crying
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rest — what's left

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