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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rest — a break
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rest — what's left
  7. suit — in cards
  8. club — a group
  9. mark — a trace
  10. drill — army training
  11. key — in music
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rest — what's left
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rush — to hurry

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