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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.

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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: present · club · dip · band · rule · key · field · court

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. dip — to sink
  3. present — there
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rule — government
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. band — a music group
  9. club — a group
  10. field — a subject
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. rule — a law
  14. club — for dancing
  15. key — for a lock
  16. court — of law
  17. club — for golf
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. band — a ring
  21. present — a gift
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. present — the time now
  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