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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: shower · key · club · mark · bulb · track · swing · roll

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. swing — music
  3. club — a group
  4. swing — in golf
  5. key — for a lock
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. track — to keep track
  9. shower — rain
  10. track — a song
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bulb — for light
  13. roll — a list
  14. key — in music
  15. track — a path
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — to play on
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mark — a grade
  24. shower — to wash

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