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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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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: key · stick · swing · snap · bass · bowl · craft · date

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to click
  3. key — for a lock
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bass — the fish
  7. craft — boats
  8. swing — in golf
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bass — low music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. key — in music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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