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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. swing — music
  3. field — for sport
  4. rock — music
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. swing — in golf
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. key — the most important part
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. key — in music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. field — a subject
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bank — of a river
  20. field — farmland
  21. bank — for money
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. swing — to play on
  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