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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. current — happening now
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cap — of ice
  5. last — to go on
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cue — a hint
  8. current — of water
  9. last — final
  10. cap — a hat
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. key — in music
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cue — a signal
  16. last — finally
  17. stand — to bear
  18. current — electric
  19. swing — to play on
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cue — for pool
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hand — help

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