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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. band — a music group
  7. key — for a lock
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. key — the most important part
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. swing — in golf
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. band — a ring
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. row — a line
  21. key — in music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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