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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: mine · key · mate · bore · club · spring · calf · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. key — in music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. club — a group
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mate — to breed
  12. club — for dancing
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ground — crushed
  15. spring — a coil
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mate — a friend
  20. club — for golf
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. key — for a lock

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