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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: march · lean · craft · key · swing · wave · court · drill

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. key — in music
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. key — for a lock
  6. drill — army training
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. court — of law
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. court — of a king
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. craft — a skill
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lean — to bend
  18. court — for sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lean — thin
  21. march — the month
  22. swing — music
  23. drill — the tool
  24. key — the most important part

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