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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. band — a ring
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bound — tied together
  6. swing — to play on
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. key — for a lock
  9. net — after costs
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. band — a music group
  15. net — in sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bound — certain
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. swing — music
  21. net — for catching
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. key — in music
  24. tube — a container

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