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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — in music
  5. kick — in football
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. swing — music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. spell — letters
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. march — the month
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. swing — to play on
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ball — a great time

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