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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rest — a break
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bound — tied together
  5. swing — music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hand — in cards
  11. club — a group
  12. bound — obliged
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. key — in music
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. root — of a word
  18. key — the most important part
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. club — for golf
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. hand — help
  24. bound — certain

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