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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · clip · fine · club · mine · mate · key · march

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. clip — for paper
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fine — all right
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mate — to breed
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. march — the month
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. march — the month
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fine — high quality
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. club — a group
  22. march — music
  23. fine — a penalty
  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