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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: fan · rock · swing · dip · season · key · mouse · deal

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. key — in music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. key — for a lock
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — to play on
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rock — music
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. swing — in golf
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. swing — music
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. dip — to sink
  21. deal — to handle
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. key — the most important part

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