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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: foot · swing · spell · file · cap · row · key · track

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. swing — music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. file — a tool
  4. cap — a lid
  5. file — a line of people
  6. swing — in golf
  7. row — a line
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cap — a hat
  10. spell — magic
  11. key — in music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cap — of ice
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. spell — letters
  19. track — a song
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. key — for a lock
  22. row — to paddle
  23. file — a document
  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