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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cap — a lid
  4. swing — to play on
  5. drill — army training
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cap — of ice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. press — newspapers
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cap — a hat
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. swing — music
  23. drill — a practice
  24. key — for a lock

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