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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — for golf
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mine — for digging
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. key — in music
  16. club — for dancing
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. game — wild animals
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. game — a match

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