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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. spell — magic
  4. lean — thin
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cue — for pool
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. dip — to sink
  12. file — a tool
  13. swing — music
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cue — a hint
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cue — a signal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spell — letters
  24. lean — to bend

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