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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pop — soda
  5. key — for a lock
  6. swing — to play on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — in music
  10. squash — to crush
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. roll — a list
  13. swing — music
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pop — to visit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. swing — in golf
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — the sport
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pop — music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. roll — on a roll

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