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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: wind · perch · wake · club · mate · rush · board · key

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. club — a group
  3. key — in music
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rush — hurry
  10. key — for a lock
  11. board — to get on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. key — the most important part
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. board — a committee
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mate — a partner
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wind — to turn a key

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