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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rash — a series
  7. club — for golf
  8. degree — temperature
  9. craft — boats
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. key — for a lock
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. season — to add flavour

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