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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · rest · fork · deal · swing · key

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. key — for a lock
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rest — what's left
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. toast — bread
  8. fork — in a road
  9. key — the most important part
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. key — in music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fork — a garden tool

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