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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: key · stick · row · club · fan · band · tube · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. key — the most important part
  4. band — a ring
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. craft — a skill
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. row — a line
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. craft — boats
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. band — a music group
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. club — for dancing

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