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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rest — a break
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bass — low music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rest — what's left
  11. swing — to play on
  12. degree — an amount
  13. key — in music
  14. mug — a face
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. swing — music
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — from a university
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — in golf

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