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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: suit · lie · key · swing · degree · can · bound · chip

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lie — to recline
  4. can — a tin
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — a tin
  11. bound — certain
  12. degree — temperature
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chip — to eat
  16. key — in music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. key — the most important part
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bound — obliged
  21. can — to be able to
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bound — tied together
  24. swing — music

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