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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. spring — of water
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. swing — in golf
  8. track — a song
  9. key — in music
  10. object — to protest
  11. pitch — completely
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. band — a ring
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. swing — music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. band — a music group
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. track — a path
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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