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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: fine · swing · key · firm · rest · band · object · trunk

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. object — an aim
  3. key — the most important part
  4. band — a ring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. key — for a lock
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fine — high quality
  9. swing — music
  10. firm — a company
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fine — all right
  13. swing — to play on
  14. firm — steady
  15. object — a thing
  16. band — a music group
  17. object — to protest
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rest — a break
  23. firm — decided
  24. key — in 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