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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. key — in music
  4. swing — music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mark — a grade
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rash — a series
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bass — low music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rush — to hurry

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