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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. track — a song
  3. ground — the earth
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitch — completely
  6. branch — a division
  7. track — to keep track
  8. key — in music
  9. track — a path
  10. club — a group
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ground — crushed
  16. club — for dancing
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. charge — in control
  19. key — the most important part
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. row — to paddle
  22. key — for a lock
  23. row — a line
  24. pitch — a sports field

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