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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: arm · fine · leaves · key · club · charge · toast · wind

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. charge — in control
  3. fine — all right
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. key — for a lock
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. toast — bread
  11. key — in music
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — the most important part
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. club — for golf
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wind — moving air
  24. club — a group

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