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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: rule · snap · key · craft · cue · swing

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cue — for pool
  4. snap — to click
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cue — a hint
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cue — a signal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. swing — to play on
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. swing — music

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