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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bass — the fish
  4. toast — bread
  5. swing — music
  6. land — ground
  7. spring — of water
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. land — to come down
  11. root — the cause
  12. spring — the season
  13. suit — clothes
  14. spring — a coil
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. root — of a plant
  17. land — a country
  18. suit — to fit
  19. key — in music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. swing — in golf
  22. key — the most important part
  23. root — of a word
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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