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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. sharp — clever
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. key — the most important part
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pit — in a race
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. scale — size or range
  13. band — a music group
  14. swing — music
  15. scale — in music
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rush — hurry
  20. band — a ring
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pit — a hole
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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