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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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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: arm · key · root · mate · capital · bay · roll · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. club — a group
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mate — to breed
  4. capital — money
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — for golf
  7. capital — a city
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. club — for dancing
  14. roll — a list
  15. root — of a plant
  16. key — for a lock
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. root — the cause
  20. mate — a partner
  21. root — of a word
  22. key — in music
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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