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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. key — the most important part
  3. court — of law
  4. march — the month
  5. swing — music
  6. key — in music
  7. court — of a king
  8. current — of water
  9. swing — in golf
  10. key — for a lock
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — electric
  14. march — music
  15. court — for sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spell — letters
  20. swing — to play on
  21. march — the month
  22. current — happening now
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fan — a supporter

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