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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. key — the most important part
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. key — in music
  14. rock — music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rock — a stone
  17. swing — music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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