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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: key · cue · fork · jam · swing · roll · fan · wind

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wind — moving air
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fork — in a road
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cue — for pool
  15. swing — music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. key — in music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wind — moving air

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