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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — the most important part
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bore — to drill
  6. staff — employees
  7. rule — government
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. club — a group
  10. rule — a law
  11. club — for golf
  12. court — of a king
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — for sport
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. key — for a lock
  20. staff — employees
  21. key — in music
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. court — of law
  24. bore — to tire

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