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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: key · fork · row · season · toast · club · race · can

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. fork — in a road
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. can — a tin
  7. club — a group
  8. row — a line
  9. race — the arms race
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. toast — bread
  13. season — of the year
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. key — in music
  18. row — to paddle
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. key — for a lock
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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