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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. swing — in golf
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ball — a great time
  19. swing — to play on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. swing — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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