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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — in music
  6. mate — to breed
  7. squash — the sport
  8. swing — in golf
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. key — the most important part
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mate — a friend
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. toast — bread
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bear — the animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — 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