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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. swing — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. pop — music
  6. hand — help
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pop — soda
  10. hand — in cards
  11. charge — electricity
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. game — wild animals
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mark — a grade
  17. charge — a price
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pop — to visit
  21. charge — in control
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. game — a match

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