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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: club · key · drill · bound · mouse · shower · suit · safe

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. shower — to wash
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bound — obliged
  7. key — for a lock
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. club — for golf
  13. bound — tied together
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. key — in music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. shower — rain
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bound — certain
  24. drill — a practice

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