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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. key — the most important part
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. suit — to fit
  6. staff — employees
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cue — a hint
  9. suit — clothes
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wake — a trail
  18. suit — in cards
  19. club — for dancing
  20. court — of a king
  21. staff — employees
  22. club — a group
  23. drill — army training
  24. wake — before a funeral

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