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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — to shout
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. land — to come down
  6. staff — a stick
  7. land — ground
  8. key — the most important part
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. club — for golf
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. club — for dancing
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. land — a country
  20. staff — employees
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. key — in music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. key — for a lock

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