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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. key — for a lock
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. content — the amount
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. key — in music
  16. content — happy
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. swing — music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. kick — in football
  24. arm — part of the body

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