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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: rock · squash · bulb · chest · key · chip · staff · swing

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bulb — for light
  4. squash — the sport
  5. swing — to play on
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — to eat
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chest — a box
  10. rock — music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. key — in music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. swing — in golf
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. chip — for betting

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