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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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Word bank
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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: swing · stock · racket · rule · march · key

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. key — for a lock
  3. march — the month
  4. swing — to play on
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rule — a law
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — shares
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rule — government
  11. key — the most important part
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. key — in music
  17. march — music
  18. stock — goods

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