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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: spring · pitcher · key · club · mark · craft · rock · fan

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rock — music
  9. spring — the season
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rock — a stone
  15. craft — boats
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spring — of water
  22. craft — a skill
  23. key — in music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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