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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. club — a group
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. root — the cause
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. key — in music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. race — humankind
  15. club — for golf
  16. race — the arms race
  17. root — of a plant
  18. race — a contest
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. root — of a word
  21. club — for dancing
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. key — the most important part

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