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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. key — in music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. season — in sport
  6. bound — tied together
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. key — for a lock
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. bound — obliged
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. key — the most important part
  22. swing — in golf
  23. court — of law
  24. bound — certain

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