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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ground — a position
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mark — a grade
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. key — the most important part
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. swing — music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ground — the earth
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. key — in music

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