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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — government
  4. club — for golf
  5. rule — a law
  6. key — for a lock
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. can — a tin
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. row — to paddle
  15. club — for dancing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — a group
  24. kick — in football

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