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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. swing — music
  3. key — in music
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. charge — a price
  6. key — for a lock
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. swing — to play on
  10. drill — the tool
  11. swing — in golf
  12. band — a ring
  13. charge — electricity
  14. last — finally
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cue — a signal
  17. band — a music group
  18. cue — a hint
  19. drill — a practice
  20. last — final
  21. charge — in control
  22. cue — for pool
  23. last — to go on
  24. drill — army training

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