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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ground — a position
  6. row — a line
  7. key — in music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ground — the earth
  12. plane — a tool
  13. swing — to play on
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. ground — crushed
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. row — to paddle

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