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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: straw · jam · key · stand · court · fan · stick · swing

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — for a lock
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. court — of law
  10. key — the most important part
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. key — in music
  13. court — for sport
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. swing — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. court — of a king
  23. swing — to play on
  24. straw — dry grass

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