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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: swing · can · coach · content · key · date · fine · club

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. content — happy
  3. date — the fruit
  4. content — the amount
  5. swing — in golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. swing — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. key — for a lock
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. can — to be able to
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. club — for golf
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fine — all right
  20. swing — to play on
  21. club — a group
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. key — in music
  24. date — on the calendar

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