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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: toast · key · club · can · bay · bat · temple · game

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bat — the animal
  8. game — a match
  9. can — a tin
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. club — a group
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. club — for golf
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. toast — bread
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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