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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: degree · club · key · season · wave · swing · hide · drill

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. swing — in golf
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. season — in sport
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. degree — an amount
  15. key — for a lock
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. key — in music
  21. season — of the year
  22. key — the most important part
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. club — a group

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