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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. court — of law
  3. craft — boats
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. field — for sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. field — a subject
  10. branch — a division
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. swing — music
  23. board — a committee
  24. swing — in golf

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