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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · lie · march · key · craft · net · charge · club

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. key — for a lock
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — for pool
  6. club — for golf
  7. cue — a hint
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. charge — electricity
  12. march — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cue — a signal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lie — to recline
  17. charge — a price
  18. key — in music
  19. craft — boats
  20. key — the most important part
  21. club — a group
  22. charge — in control
  23. club — for dancing
  24. march — the month

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