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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.

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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: kick · bowl · key · dip · swing · saw · court · pitch

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. swing — music
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. court — for sport
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. saw — the tool
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. kick — in football
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pitch — completely
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. court — of law
  17. swing — in golf
  18. court — of a king
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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