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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: wake · pitcher · temple · game · season · key · swing · chair

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. game — a match
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. swing — to play on
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. key — in music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chair — a leader
  13. game — wild animals
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. season — of the year
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. season — in sport
  19. wake — a trail
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. swing — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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