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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: club · root · key · safe · cap · swing · cold · wind

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. root — the cause
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cap — a hat
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. key — the most important part
  10. swing — music
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cap — a lid
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. key — in music
  18. root — of a word
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. club — a group
  23. wind — moving air
  24. swing — to play on

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