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

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. swing — to play on
  3. key — in music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. suit — in cards
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — clothes
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ground — a position
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ground — the earth
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. swing — music
  22. hand — help
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. suit — to fit

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