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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: club · drill · bowl · spring · suit · key · game · track

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. game — wild animals
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. drill — the tool
  10. suit — to fit
  11. game — a match
  12. spring — of water
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. club — a group
  15. track — a song
  16. key — the most important part
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. club — for golf
  19. drill — a practice
  20. track — a path
  21. key — in music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. track — to keep track
  24. key — for a lock

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