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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. swing — in golf
  3. key — for a lock
  4. spell — letters
  5. pop — to visit
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. court — for sport
  8. net — in sport
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — of a king
  15. swing — music
  16. spell — magic
  17. key — in music
  18. pop — soda
  19. net — after costs
  20. court — of law
  21. toast — bread
  22. pop — music
  23. spell — a short time
  24. key — the most important part

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