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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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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 · dip · wave · coach · chip · key · racket · bulb

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. key — in music
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. swing — in golf
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chip — for betting
  18. dip — to sink
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. chip — to eat
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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