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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bass — the fish
  4. content — happy
  5. swing — to play on
  6. key — in music
  7. content — the amount
  8. can — a tin
  9. season — of the year
  10. swing — music
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to sink
  14. season — in sport
  15. bass — low music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. can — to be able to
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. key — the most important part
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. season — to add flavour

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