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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: firm · pitcher · swing · squash · kid · cap · cue · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. swing — music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cue — a hint
  8. squash — the sport
  9. firm — decided
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. key — for a lock
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. squash — to crush
  17. swing — to play on
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. firm — steady
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kid — child
  23. key — in music
  24. swing — in golf

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