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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: club · key · staff · fall · pit · dip · pound · cabinet

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fall — the season
  3. club — for golf
  4. key — in music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — a hole
  7. club — a group
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. staff — employees
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pit — in a race

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