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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. file — a line of people
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. season — in sport
  7. file — a document
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. swing — music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. season — of the year
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — of water
  15. swing — to play on
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spring — the season
  18. season — to add flavour

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