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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lean — to bend
  5. present — a gift
  6. lean — thin
  7. mate — a friend
  8. club — a group
  9. bass — low music
  10. present — the time now
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. present — there
  15. mate — a partner
  16. key — the most important part
  17. swing — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. club — for golf
  20. key — in music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. club — for dancing

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