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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. key — in music
  3. clip — for paper
  4. swing — to play on
  5. key — the most important part
  6. clip — a video
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bank — for money
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. scale — size or range
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. key — for a lock
  15. last — to go on
  16. bank — of a river
  17. clip — to cut
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. scale — in music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. last — final
  23. bank — for money
  24. last — finally

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