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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · pop · fine · file · mine · bowl · swing · plane

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pop — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pop — soda
  7. plane — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. fine — all right
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. key — in music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. swing — in golf
  17. key — the most important part
  18. swing — music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. file — a tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fine — high quality
  24. file — a line of people

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