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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 · key · straw · bound · mate · date · deal · net

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bound — certain
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. key — in music
  8. net — in sport
  9. swing — music
  10. mate — a partner
  11. net — for catching
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mate — a friend
  14. deal — to handle
  15. swing — in golf
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. net — after costs
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mate — to breed
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. straw — a straw man

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