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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 120 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 is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bass — low music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. key — in music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a path
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. swing — to play on
  12. chest — of your body
  13. board — a committee
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bass — the fish
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chest — a box
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. board — to get on

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