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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · chest · racket · key · drill · chair

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chest — a box
  3. drill — a practice
  4. club — for dancing
  5. key — the most important part
  6. club — for golf
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. key — for a lock
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. club — a group
  13. drill — army training
  14. chest — of your body
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — in music
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chest — of your body

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