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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: swing · hide · rule · last · key · game · pound · bore

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. game — wild animals
  2. last — finally
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pound — a weight
  7. swing — music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rule — government
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. game — a match
  14. key — in music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bore — to tire
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. last — to go on
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. swing — to play on
  22. last — final
  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