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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: club · mark · bass · rash · mate · rest · key · wound

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. club — for dancing
  3. key — in music
  4. bass — low music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wound — an injury
  9. club — for golf
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mate — to breed
  14. club — a group
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rash — a series
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rest — a break
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rest — what's left

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