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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. swing — in golf
  3. court — for sport
  4. club — a group
  5. key — for a lock
  6. charge — electricity
  7. key — in music
  8. club — for dancing
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. club — for golf
  14. charge — in control
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. swing — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cold — not warm
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cold — an illness
  24. charge — a price

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