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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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468
Word bank
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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. swing — music
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fork — in a road
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rule — government
  15. kid — child
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kid — to tease
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rule — a law
  24. safe — out of danger

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