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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · spell · swing · key · object · stick · field · trunk

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. object — to protest
  4. spell — magic
  5. field — for sport
  6. key — the most important part
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cap — a hat
  9. swing — music
  10. object — a thing
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. object — an aim
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. field — a subject
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. spell — letters
  22. field — farmland
  23. swing — in golf
  24. key — for a lock

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