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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mark — a grade
  7. swing — to play on
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. march — the month
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. key — in music
  12. band — a ring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. march — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. wind — moving air

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