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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. ball — a dance
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. swing — in golf
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. key — in music
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. toast — bread
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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