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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bound — obliged
  10. swing — to play on
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. season — of the year
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. swing — music
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bound — certain
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. key — in music
  24. jam — in traffic

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