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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. key — in music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. key — the most important part
  5. scale — size or range
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. track — to keep track
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. scale — in music
  11. track — a path
  12. club — for dancing
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pit — in a race
  15. row — to paddle
  16. track — a song
  17. key — for a lock
  18. club — a group
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kick — in football
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pit — a hole
  23. club — for golf
  24. racket — for tennis

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