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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bound — obliged
  3. key — in music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. field — for sport
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. field — farmland
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bound — certain
  11. swing — music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. kick — in football
  14. plane — a tool
  15. swing — to play on
  16. key — the most important part
  17. field — a subject
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — to handle
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bound — tied together

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