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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rock — music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. shower — rain
  12. key — for a lock
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rock — a stone
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fork — in a road
  20. swing — to play on
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stand — to bear
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. key — in music

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