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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pop — music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. swing — music
  10. board — a committee
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. swing — to play on
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. swing — in golf
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. game — wild animals
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. board — to get on
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. game — a match

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