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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. swing — music
  3. spell — a short time
  4. hand — in cards
  5. key — the most important part
  6. deal — to handle
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cap — a lid
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mate — a partner
  16. hand — help
  17. cap — of ice
  18. swing — to play on
  19. spell — magic
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. key — in music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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