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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. key — in music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. net — for catching
  8. branch — a division
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. net — after costs
  12. key — the most important part
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hand — help
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. rush — hurry
  23. net — in sport
  24. fine — high quality

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