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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cold — not warm
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cold — an illness
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. band — a music group
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. tube — a container
  17. net — in sport
  18. tube — the underground
  19. key — the most important part
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. pit — a hole
  24. band — a ring

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