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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mate — a partner
  4. row — a line
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fork — in a road
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. key — in music
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cap — of ice
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mate — a friend
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. key — the most important part
  24. row — to paddle

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