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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.

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: can · file · bay · net · straw · stand · key · club

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. file — a document
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a tool
  9. key — in music
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. can — to be able to
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. club — a group
  14. net — in sport
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. club — for golf
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. file — a line of people
  22. net — for catching
  23. key — the most important part
  24. net — after costs

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