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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.

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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. fine — all right
  5. key — in music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — of water
  8. bass — low music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pop — music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pop — to visit
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pop — soda
  20. spring — the season
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bass — the fish
  24. swing — to play on

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