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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. board — to get on
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. key — the most important part
  13. swing — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. board — a committee
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fork — in a road
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bank — for money
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bank — of a river

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