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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: rest · can · swing · pit · wind · mark · key · content

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rest — what's left
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rest — what's left
  8. can — a tin
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. rest — a break
  13. swing — in golf
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — to be able to
  18. swing — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mark — a grade

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