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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 piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bass — low music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. key — the most important part
  14. file — a tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bass — the fish
  17. swing — music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rush — hurry
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. swing — to play 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