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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: object · field · club · pit · perch · game · swing · key

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. field — for sport
  3. perch — the fish
  4. key — in music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. key — the most important part
  7. object — a thing
  8. game — a match
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. object — to protest
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. swing — music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. field — a subject
  17. key — for a lock
  18. club — for golf
  19. field — farmland
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. game — wild animals
  22. object — an aim
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pit — a hole

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