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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. key — the most important part
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. board — a committee
  10. current — happening now
  11. board — to get on
  12. key — in music
  13. bass — low music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. current — electric
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. current — of water
  19. key — for a lock
  20. swing — music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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