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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. key — in music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. suit — clothes
  9. swing — music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. field — for sport
  12. swing — to play on
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. suit — in cards
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fine — a penalty

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