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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: spell · suit · key · firm · chest · kid · mouse · club

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kid — child
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. spell — magic
  8. club — for golf
  9. chest — a box
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. chest — of your body
  13. club — a group
  14. firm — decided
  15. key — in music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kid — to tease
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. spell — letters
  21. suit — to fit
  22. spell — a short time
  23. suit — clothes
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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