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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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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: pop · sharp · patient · club · object · mark · chair · key

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pop — soda
  3. club — a group
  4. sharp — clever
  5. club — for golf
  6. object — an aim
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pop — to visit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mark — a grade
  14. object — to protest
  15. club — for dancing
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mark — a trace
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pop — music
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chair — a leader
  24. key — in music

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