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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bulb — for light
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fine — all right
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bank — for money
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. game — a match
  15. swing — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. clip — a video
  18. bank — for money
  19. key — the most important part
  20. toast — bread
  21. key — for a lock
  22. game — wild animals
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. key — in music

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