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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: key · mate · club · suit · mine · ground · bat · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mate — to breed
  6. club — for dancing
  7. key — in music
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wake — a trail
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. suit — clothes
  19. club — a group
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. club — for golf
  24. mate — a friend

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