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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · chip · row · leaves · field · bark · key · spring

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. club — for golf
  3. chip — for betting
  4. field — farmland
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. spring — of water
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. field — for sport
  16. spring — a coil
  17. club — for dancing
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. field — a subject
  21. spring — the season
  22. club — a group
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bark — to shout

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