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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: foot · club · race · band · fan · chip · spell · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spell — magic
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. key — for a lock
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spell — a short time
  11. foot — a measure
  12. club — for golf
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. band — a ring
  19. key — the most important part
  20. race — humankind
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. band — a music group
  24. spell — letters

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