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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: field · mug · club · key · ball · squash · leaves · bear

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. squash — to crush
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. club — for golf
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mug — to rob
  9. key — in music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. field — for sport
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. field — a subject
  24. club — a group

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