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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: swing · key · net · firm · chip · rest · roll · field

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rest — a break
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. field — a subject
  6. firm — decided
  7. swing — to play on
  8. roll — a list
  9. rest — what's left
  10. firm — steady
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. net — in sport
  13. firm — a company
  14. swing — music
  15. key — in music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — for betting
  18. swing — in golf
  19. net — after costs
  20. roll — a cake
  21. chip — to eat
  22. key — the most important part
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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