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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. key — in music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. present — there
  5. swing — in golf
  6. key — for a lock
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. present — the time now
  12. bass — low music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. drill — army training
  17. bass — the fish
  18. drill — a practice

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