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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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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: fork · key · bound · saw · swing · club · cap · field

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cap — of ice
  3. swing — music
  4. key — in music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. swing — to play on
  7. field — farmland
  8. bound — certain
  9. key — for a lock
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. club — a group
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. club — for dancing
  18. saw — the tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. swing — in golf
  22. field — for sport
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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