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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. swing — music
  3. spell — letters
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. key — in music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — magic
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. field — farmland
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. field — for sport
  16. key — for a lock
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stand — to bear
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. key — the most important part
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. field — a subject

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