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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 116 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: club · race · deal · key · present · mouse · last · prune

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. last — to go on
  7. key — for a lock
  8. last — finally
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — in music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. last — final
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — a gift
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. race — a contest
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. present — the time now
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. present — there

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