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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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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: key · shower · firm · file · nail · club · stick · cue

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cue — a hint
  7. firm — a company
  8. key — in music
  9. file — a tool
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — steady
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cue — a signal
  24. firm — decided

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