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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: fall · key · date · season · stick · club · bear · saw

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. club — for dancing
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. saw — the tool
  9. season — in sport
  10. fall — the season
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. season — of the year
  19. bear — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bear — the animal
  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