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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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Word bank
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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: hide · key · fan · mate · foot · bowl · bay · club

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. key — in music
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — a partner
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — a friend
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. key — the most important part
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mate — to breed
  22. key — for a lock
  23. club — a group
  24. fan — to cool the air

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