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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 116 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. band — a ring
  9. chair — a leader
  10. current — of water
  11. club — for dancing
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. band — a music group
  14. land — to come down
  15. key — in music
  16. land — a country
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rest — a break
  20. club — a group
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. club — for golf

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