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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. present — a gift
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ground — a position
  5. key — the most important part
  6. present — the time now
  7. spell — magic
  8. swing — to play on
  9. key — in music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. spell — letters
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ground — crushed
  17. game — a match
  18. key — for a lock
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. present — there
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. spell — a short time

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